The Domestic Violence Fatality Review Act created the Domestic Violence Fatality Review initiative, consisting of the Statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee (DVFRC) and regional review teams. Every year, the DVFRC submits an annual report to the Governor’s Office and General Assembly detailing its operations and activities over the p...
The Domestic Violence Fatality Review Act created the Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFR) initiative. It consists of a two-tiered structure composed of the Statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee (DVFRC) and regional review teams. Domestic violence fatality reviews aim to prevent future domestic violence related fatalities and ne...
The Domestic Violence Task Force Act established Colton’s Task Force. Colton Tanner Miller was a young boy killed by his father with a firearm during a domestic violence incident in Illinois. Created in Colton’s memory, the task force was charged with conducting a comprehensive review of the process, operation, and enforcement of current Illinois d...
Mental health professionals are essential for the healing of children, youth, and families who have experienced victimization. In this study, researchers sought to better understand mental health professionals’ experiences with burnout and vicarious traumatization. Researchers examined interview data that they had gathered for a different, earlier ...
The Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness, and Equity-Today Act (SAFE-T Act) established the Domestic Violence Pretrial Practices Working Group, a group comprised of diverse Illinois criminal justice and victim service stakeholders. Their final report makes eight recommendations for evidence-based improvements to court procedures. Recommendatio...
To develop and propose policies and procedures aimed at reducing crime in the State of Illinois, the Crime Reduction Task Force Act established the Crime Reduction Task Force (20 ILCS 3926/1-5). The Task Force was active from October 2022 through June 2024. The Task Force adopted recommendations addressing a wide range of areas related to crime red...
ICJIA researchers created an InfoNet system infographic for State Fiscal Year 2023 that summarizes client data, data and technical assistance requests, system upgrades, and research using InfoNet data.
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) convened the Victim Services Planning Committee (VSPC) in early 2022 to recommend victim service priority funding areas. ICJIA researchers utilized various research methods, such as secondary data analysis, a survey, and focus groups, to better understand Illinois victim service needs and ...
Although males experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at a rate only slightly lower than females, they are much less likely to receive formal victim services. We examined differences in males and females who received services for IPV victimization. Using InfoNet data web-based case management system used by domestic violence and sexual assault ...
ICJIA researchers conducted a process evaluation of the Safe From the Start (SFS) program, examining the program’s operation with a focus on its three core pillars of coalition building, direct services, and public awareness. Researchers analyzed data collected from clinicians and administrative staff across nine program sites via an online survey,...
Illinois Helping Everyone Access Linked Systems (HEALS) is an Office for Victims or Crime-funded initiative seeking to improve systems’ response for children, youth, and families impacted by violence. Egyptian Health Department, located in Southern Illinois, was selected as the demonstration site for HEALS program implementation and evaluation. Res...
Exposure to violence and crime can have a detrimental impact on society and individuals. This report examined the need, access, use, and barriers of victim-centered services among Illinois residents. With a focus on feelings of empowerment and help-seeking behaviors, we surveyed and interviewed diverse groups of Illinois residents who themselves, o...
The Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness, and Equity-Today Act (SAFE-T Act) was signed into law on January 22, 2021, by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. The SAFE-T Act established the Domestic Violence Pretrial Practices Working Group to inform the state’s understanding of current domestic violence pretrial practices and to make recommendations ...
With the implementation of stay-at-home orders to slow COVID-19 transmission, researchers and victim service providers raised concerns about an increase in the amount and severity of domestic violence (DV) incidents. Using InfoNet—an online database used by Illinois domestic violence (DV) and sexual assault (SA) service providers—researchers explor...
ICJIA researchers conducted an evaluation of the Safe From the Start (SFS) program to identify the characteristics, risk factors, and the impact of violence and service provision on children and their caregivers. Administrative and assessment data collected from July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2020, representing 4,823 children who had received services a...
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) aims to continue funding and supporting violence prevention efforts across the state. This report was written in an effort to inform ICJIA’s violence prevention plan for 2020-2024. It included a needs assessment that aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of violence prevalence and...
The criminal legal system has established policies and programs to address intimate partner violence, such as mandatory arrest policies, specialized courts, weapons bans, no drop prosecution, and orders of protection. Programs for people who perpetrate violence include batterer intervention programs and cognitive behavioral therapy. These programs ...
Though underreported, intimate partner violence affects a large number of women, as well as men and individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community. Intimate partner violence can affect the mental and physical health of the person who experienced violence and negatively impact children in the home. Over the past two decades, researchers have identified typol...
Rape crisis centers provide crisis counseling, victim advocacy, mental health services, and community education free at the point of service in Illinois. This study sought to understand how Illinois rape crisis centers were affected by the two-year state budget impasse (2015 to 2017), during which many social service programs were unsupported by st...
Improving victim services for underserved populations is a Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding priority. While VOCA does not define who “underserved populations” are, it does provide guidelines state administering agencies (SAAs), the entities that distribute VOCA funding, should use to designate underserved victims within their states. These guide...
Researchers use interviewing as a qualitative tool to answer research questions. Researchers have an ethical obligation to protect study participants from harm, particularly when asking about sensitive topics. Interviews on potentially sensitive topics (e.g., victimization, criminal offending behaviors, substance use) can elicit emotional respons...
The COVID-19 pandemic poses unique challenges for the criminal justice system. Despite statewide social distancing and stay-in-place orders, criminal justice practitioners and victim service providers must, to some extent, continue to directly interact with justice-involved individuals, victims, and others. This article describes some of the challe...
News reports have documented increases in calls to rape crisis hotlines after periods of intense coverage of sexual assault cases in the media. Hotline call data collected from InfoNet, a web-based data collection and reporting system used by victim service providers in Illinois, was used to examine the relationship between daily hotline calls and ...
Domestic violence is a national public health issue that both federal and state funding work to address. Researchers analyzed data collected via InfoNet, a statewide case management and data reporting system used by domestic violence agencies across Illinois, and other state administrative data, to identify trends among those who have been harmed b...
Research suggests violence against women is a leading cause of U.S. homelessness and housing instability for women and their children. Transitional housing programs offer stable housing to women and their children who have been harmed by violence. Researchers conducted a process evaluation of three Illinois transitional housing programs. Overall, t...
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority was awarded a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime for the Illinois Helping Everyone Access Linked Systems (Illinois HEALS) initiative. The six-year initiative seeks to improve the identification, connection, and service engagement of children, youth, and families impacted by violence in Ill...
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority was awarded a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime for the Illinois Helping Everyone Access Linked Systems (Illinois HEALS) initiative. The six-year initiative seeks to improve the recognition, connection, and service engagement of children, youth, and families impacted by violence in Illino...
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority was awarded a Linking Systems of Care for Children and Youth Demonstration grant from the Office for Victims of Crime. This six-year initiative seeks to improve the identification, connection, and service engagement of children, youth, and families impacted by violence in Illinois. Informed by a 1...
A large number of children and youth in the United States experience multiple forms of violence in their homes, schools, and community. These experiences can impact a child’s personality development, mental health, academic success, and interpersonal relationships. This article presents data on the prevalence of childhood victimization and exposure...
Illinois law enforcement agencies reported 118,160 domestic-related crimes in 2016. The Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council developed and provided training for police and other criminal justice practitioners to improve knowledge about domestic violence and apply this knowledge to support evidence-based approaches to prosecution and orders...
InfoNet is a web-based, centralized statewide case management system for domestic and sexual violence centers maintained by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA). This article demonstrates InfoNet's strengths and utility and how its data contribute knowledge about victimization and victim services. Also highlighted are the sys...
Researchers conducted a statewide study to better understand crime victim needs, identify service gaps, and measure the capacity of Illinois victim service providers. This report focuses on how victim service providers from across Illinois discussed their service delivery and capacity to meet victim need. Study findings have policy and practice imp...
Violent crime victimization can impact multiple areas of victims' lives. Victims who are underserved or marginalized face unique individual, societal, and cultural hurdles that impact help-seeking. Models of service delivery that provide a single point of contact and comprehensive, evidence-based services hold promise to serve victims whose needs e...
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority convened an Ad Hoc Victim Services Committee in January to review research to identify crime victim needs and service gaps and measure capacity of Illinois victim service providers. The Committee then set funding priorities to address those needs, gaps, and capacity issues. The priorities were lat...
Many victims of intimate partner violence find themselves at increased risk for homelessness as they make efforts to escape violence. The lack of stable, safe, and affordable housing is associated with negative outcomes for these victims. This article describes the relationship between housing instability and victim health and well-being, issues to...
InfoNet is a web-based data collection and reporting system used by rape crisis centers across Illinois. Developed by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority in collaboration with the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA) and other agencies, InfoNet is used by ICASA's network of 33 rape crisis centers. The system tracks vict...
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority's InfoNet data system is key to targeted, effective services for victims of interpersonal violence across Illinois.
The Analysis of Shelter Utilization by Victims of Domestic Violence project was funded by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) in the spring of 2008 to address two primary issues: 1) The shelter and service utilization patterns and outcomes and housing needs of women who are domestic violence victims, and 2) the stages in the...
This summary highlights the findings from analysis of domestic violence service data obtained by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) through its InfoNet system between the period of January 1, 1998 and December 11, 2005. The data were provided by nearly 70 domestic violence centers throughout Illinois that receive funding fr...