ICJIA Announces Statewide Areas Eligible for Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) Program Grants

CHICAGO — The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) today announced areas across the state that are eligible for Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) Program grant funding. The R3 program was established as part of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act as part of the overall social equity focus work to invest in communities that were disproportionately damaged by the war on drugs.

Twenty five percent of the tax revenue from cannabis sales will be used for the R3 program grants, which will be distributed using a competitive process.

Together with the R3 Board, ICIJA will award grant funds to community organizations that support economic development, provide violence prevention and reentry services, and offer youth development and civil legal aid to individuals in these eligible areas. A notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the grants will be released in the coming months. The agency will administer and monitor the grants and offer ongoing research support to the R3 areas.

A working group of researchers and criminal justice professionals assisted ICIJA in identifying the eligible areas using census-level data on gun injury, child poverty, unemployment and state prison commitments and returns, per statute. Areas designated as R3 program areas are available here.

"The R3 program presents an opportunity to right wrongs caused by decades of poverty and the war on drugs," said Lieutenant Governor and R3 board chair Juliana Stratton. "The R3 board is committed to expanding opportunities for communities that have been left behind by economic disinvestment."

"As we move forward with implementing the most equity-centric cannabis legalization in the nation, we remain focused on investing in communities that need it most," said Toi Hutchinson, Senior Advisor to Governor Pritzker for Cannabis Control. "I encourage community groups to participate in this effort and continue to make a difference in the lives of those were hurt in the war on drugs."

"ICJIA is committed to serving these eligible areas and fulfilling the R3 initiative's mission of ensuring effective and equitable provision of resources and technical assistance to communities in need," said ICJIA Acting Executive Director Jason Stamps. "We are eager to work with our community partners to address historic inequities while providing much needed support in their efforts to heal and ultimately thrive."

"The war on drugs and gun violence had a devastating impact on these communities," said David Olson, Ph.D., R3 Research Working Group member and Loyola University Center for Criminal Justice Research, Policy & Practice co-director. "We look forward to serving these communities with funding for programs that will restore families, prevent violence, build protective factors, and end cycles of imprisonment."

A working group of researchers and criminal justice professionals examined data from various sources including the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Corrections, and U.S. Census to identify areas in need of reinvestment.