Committee approves State’s Attorney grant packages including peacemaker funding and Conviction Integrity support

On Jan. 6 the Lake County Law & Judicial Committee approved multiple grant actions for the State’s Attorney’s Office that the office said will fund juvenile‑justice prevention, conviction‑integrity work and a gun‑violence prevention initiative.

For agenda item 8.6 the committee authorized acceptance and an emergency appropriation of $80,000 for a seven‑month Juvenile Justice Council grant. Jo Gerbitter, chief deputy of administrative services for the State’s Attorney’s Office, said the grant is similar to prior years and will cover printed materials, a part‑time JJC coordinator, a racial and ethnic disparity reduction coordinator and national speakers.

Agenda item 8.7 authorizes a subgrant from a Bureau of Justice program administered through the Illinois Innocence Project. Gerbitter said the modification funds the Conviction Integrity Unit director (a current SAO position), a contractual investigator, a contractual paralegal, and required computer software and licenses to support DNA casework and post‑conviction litigation.

On the following item the State’s Attorney’s Office presented an Illinois Department of Human Services grant to support the SAO’s gun‑violence prevention initiative and a subaward to Waukegan Township for peacemaker services. Jo Gerbitter stated the SAO was awarded $1.5 million for the period Jan. 1 through Jan. 30 and said the funding will cover salary and benefits for five staff (in whole or in part), a contracted therapist and youth coordinator and outreach activities. The transcript also contains an earlier transcribed figure of $1,000,000 that was corrected in discussion; reporters or reviewers should verify the final approved grant agreement for exact amounts and award terms.

Each grant motion was presented by the State’s Attorney’s Office and carried by voice vote with no recorded opposition.