As we head into the New Year, I'm reflecting on what Lawndale Christian Legal Center accomplished in 2023 and looking ahead optimistically into 2024. I am sending a big thank you to everyone who supported the impact we are having on the communities we serve. If you have not made a year end gift to LCLC, you have one more day to donate here: https://lnkd.in/gE669Tyz
If you have already donated, I hope you take a moment this weekend to reflect on the difference you have made -- the lives you have touched that will be better off because of you. The impact we've had is the result of all of us working together to make it happen. THANK YOU!
Let's play the 2023 highlight reel (enjoy!):
- Robin Steinberg, the national leader in community holistic defense, is supporting us with help from The Bail Project, one of our best-ever partners
- Nearly completed the consenting process for our RCT -- 630 of the 660 consented with more coming in this week
- Secured $3MM funding to sustain our successful roll out of Community Release with Support + expand into Maywood and Rolling Meadows
- Illinois ended cash bail in September! And we are proving it's safer and successful!
- Deepened our partnership with CLIHTF to connect our clients to housing
- Awarded $5MM in city funding to house our clients, the largest investment in our clients' housing needs likely in the history of Chicago!
- Raised $21MM in capital funding to construct our Residential Workforce Development Center!
- Completed nine-month SWOT analysis and have been implementing solutions since
- Unprecedented earned media coverage due to the great work our team is doing!
The impact we're having is undeniable:
- Community Holistic Defense -- ~340 youth served annually, 82.2% not catching new cases while in our care, 75% are being connected to critical social supports, 53% progressed in employment, 66% progressed in school, 46% no permanent felony records, 62% stay home instead of prison
- Community Release with Support -- ~3,000 clients served annually, 98% returned to court, 64% cases dismissed, 100% received court reminders and transportation as needed, 57% linked to social services pending trial
- Restorative Justice Community Courts -- we started the first in North Lawndale, two more have been added, 219+ emerging adults served, 84% charged with felony weapon possession, 86.9% have not caught new cases compared to 34.8% from a matched control group (conversely only 13.1% caught new cases in RJCC vs. 65.2% outside of RJCC)
- Housing Justice -- We linked ~50 clients to housing with over 100 family members + another forty families in the queue for 2024.
We go into 2024 with the unique expertise and value we have created in the field of criminal justice over the last fourteen years. We go into 2024 with a bright future, bold vision, and a great team of people dedicated to making our world better.
Happy New Year!