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Illinois Justice Project

Chicago, Illinois

Grants

2023 (2 years)
$400,000

Metropolis Strategies was established in 2011 as a supporting organization of the Chicago Community Trust to initiate a strategic agenda to grow the regional economy, promote sustainable development, and create safer communities throughout the Chicago region. The Illinois Justice Project (Justice Project), a project of Metropolis Strategies, advances justice reform through research leading to sound advocacy and implementation of policies and practices that make communities safer, break the cycle of crime and violence, and make the criminal legal system more effective, equitable and efficient. The Justice Project engages in policy development aimed at reducing crime and violence, diverting youth and adults from the justice system, and supporting effective reentry from incarceration. This award renews support for the Justice Project to advance justice reform in Illinois at both the state and local levels, through partnerships on multiple initiatives with different branches of government, community service providers and agencies, and research and policy organizations and groups.

2022 (3 years 1 month)
$525,000

Metropolis Strategies was established in 2011 as a supporting organization of the Chicago Community Trust to initiate a strategic agenda to grow the regional economy, promote sustainable development, and create safer communities throughout the Chicago region. The Illinois Justice Project (Justice Project), a project of Metropolis Strategies, advances justice reform through research leading to sound advocacy and implementation of policies and practices that make communities safer, break the cycle of crime and violence, and make the criminal legal system more effective, equitable and efficient. The Justice Project engages in policy development aimed at reducing crime and violence, diverting youth and adults from the justice system, and supporting effective reentry from incarceration. This award renews support for the Justice Project to advance justice reform in Illinois at both the state and local levels, through partnerships on multiple initiatives with different branches of government, community service providers and agencies, and research and policy organizations and groups.

2022 ( 4 months)
$20,000

Metropolis Strategies was established in 2011 as a supporting organization of the Chicago Community Trust to initiate a strategic agenda to grow the regional economy, promote sustainable development, and create safer communities throughout the Chicago region. The Illinois Justice Project (Justice Project), a project of Metropolis Strategies, engages in policy development aimed at reducing crime and violence, diverting youth and adults from the justice system, and supporting effective reentry from incarceration. This award supports Metropolis Strategies half-day Communications Plan Media Summit, with approximately 15-20 journalists participating. The goals of the Communication Plan are to promote public understanding of the Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA) and the implementation process, and to ensure that the public has access to accurate, transparent information. The Summit will be held in Downtown Chicago with guests invited from throughout Illinois.

2021 (3 years)
$500,000

Metropolis Strategies was established in 2011 as a supporting organization of the Chicago Community Trust to initiate a strategic agenda to grow the regional economy, promote sustainable development, and create safer communities throughout the Chicago region. The Illinois Justice Project (Justice Project), a project of Metropolis Strategies, engages in policy development aimed at reducing crime and violence, diverting youth and adults from the justice system, and supporting effective reentry from incarceration. This award enables the Justice Project to establish the Illinois Reentry Council (the Council) to design and implement a more supportive, equitable, and effective process for people returning to the community from jails and prisons. By providing a platform where its diverse membership across the public and private sectors can meet and exchange information and coordinate projects, the Council’s goal and long-term strategy is to design and develop an improved reentry system, support its implementation, and evaluate and improve comprehensive reentry services and supports. Members include those impacted by and responsible for the process – people leaving incarceration; executive, judicial and legislative elected officials from the state, regional and local levels; government administrators; service providers; law enforcement; researchers; and advocates.

2020 (2 years)
$750,000

Metropolis Strategies was established in 2011 as a supporting organization of the Chicago Community Trust to initiate a strategic agenda to grow the regional economy, promote sustainable development, and create safer communities throughout the Chicago region. The Illinois Justice Project (Justice Project), a project of Metropolis Strategies, engages in policy development aimed at reducing crime and violence, diverting youth and adults from the justice system, and supporting effective reentry from incarceration. This award renews support for the Justice Project to advance justice reform in Illinois at both the state and local levels, through partnerships on multiple initiatives with different branches of government, community service providers and agencies, and research and policy organizations and groups. In addition, the award provides funding for a pilot program aimed at establishing an effective process for supporting accelerated releases and community re-entry for incarcerated individuals from the Illinois Department of Corrections.

2018 (2 years)
$400,000

Metropolis Strategies was established in 2011 as a supporting organization of the Chicago Community Trust to initiate a strategic agenda to grow the regional economy, promote sustainable development, and create safer communities throughout the Chicago region. The Illinois Justice Project (Justice Project), a project of Metropolis Strategies, engages in policy development aimed at reducing crime and violence, diverting youth and adults from the justice system, and supporting effective reentry from incarceration. This award enables the Justice Project to advance justice reform in Illinois at both the state and local levels, through partnerships on multiple initiatives with different branches of government, community service providers and agencies, and research and policy organizations and groups.

2016 (2 years)
$350,000

Metropolis Strategies was established in 2011 as a supporting organization of the Chicago Community Trust to initiate a strategic agenda to grow the regional economy, promote sustainable development and create safer communities throughout the Chicago region. The Illinois Justice Project (Justice Project), a project of Metropolis Strategies, advances justice system reform through policy development aimed at reducing crime and violence, diverting youth and adults from the justice system, and supporting effective reentry from incarceration. The Justice Project partners with different branches of government, community service providers and agencies, and research and policy organizations and groups on multiple initiatives to advance justice reform in Illinois at both the state and local levels. 

2015 ( 11 months)
$175,000

Metropolis Strategies was established in 2011 as a supporting organization of the Chicago Community Trust to initiate a strategic agenda to grow the regional economy, promote sustainable development, and create safer communities throughout the Chicago region. Under Metropolis Strategies, the Illinois Justice Project (Justice Project) advances criminal justice reform through policy development aimed at reducing crime and violence, diverting youth and adults from the justice system, and supporting effective reentry from incarceration. This award enables the Justice Project to support the work of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Leadership Council (Leadership Council) to strengthen emerging partnerships aimed at sustaining and capitalizing on juvenile justice reform efforts achieved under Illinois Models for Change and to elevate juvenile justice as a priority in the state. A state-wide entity composed of key juvenile justice decisionnmakers in all three branches of government as well as community and civic organizations and groups, the Leadership Council provides a unique forum for bringing together both public and private stakeholders for the purposes of systems reform.

2013 (1 year)
$50,000

Metropolis Strategies is a civic organization that works to improve regional planning on a wide range of issues, including criminal justice reform, transportation, and economic development. In an effort to spur the vitality of some of Chicago’s most economically-depressed areas, Metropolis Strategies will use this grant for research on the potential of innovation clusters--firms that organize to share supply chains and employment needs--as a strategy to revitalize Chicago’s industrial areas; and to develop a pilot effort to support an industry cluster--food processing and packaging firms--to improve their performance and increase their employment bases.

2012 (2 years)
$600,000

Metropolis Strategies’ mission is to maintain and enhance the economic competitiveness of the Chicago region by raising public awareness on these issues and bringing about concrete changes in public policy by conducting high-quality analytical work; disseminating information to the media and key stakeholders on important policy topics; participating in the political process at the city, county, state, and federal levels; and encouraging business leaders to speak out and act on issues of regional importance. This grant will support work on its three main program priorities: regional economic growth; sustainable development; and reduction of violence and reform of justice systems.

2011 (1 year)
$300,000

Metropolis Strategies, a civic organization that works to improve regional planning on a wide range of issues, including criminal justice reform, transportation, and economic development, and the Chicago office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national community development intermediary that manages the Foundation-supported New Communities Program, an effort to revitalize 16 Chicago neighborhoods, will use these grants in a joint effort to investigate possible strategies to promote business corridor revival and business expansion that also serve to link neighborhoods to new employment opportunities.

2011 (1 year)
$500,000

To support a new civic leadership organization, Metropolis Strategies.

2010 (1 year)
$180,000

In support of the Regional Economy Initiative.

2010 (1 year)
$180,000

In support of the Regional Economy Initiative.

2008 (2 years 1 month)
$600,000

To support a project to reform Illinois' transportation system, as part of Chicago's Burnham Plan Centennial celebration.

2007 (3 years)
$750,000

In support of general operations (over three years).

2004 (3 years)
$900,000

In support of general operations (over three years).

2004 (1 year)
$250,000

To develop a technology platform for a regional learning game.

2001 (3 years)
$900,000

In support of general operations (over three years).

2001 (3 years)
$180,000

To support the involvement of the business community in developing public policy that increases access to quality early education and care (over three years).

2000 (2 years 2 months)
$50,000

To develop a regional learning forum to educate citizens about regional planning and public policy decisions.