Latest news with #JustinSlaughter
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT TOPS 80% IN PARTS OF CHICAGO, NEW REPORT SHOWS
New data highlight racial and geographic inequities in youth and young adult joblessness across Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois CHICAGO, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In parts of Chicago, more than four out of five teens are out of work. A new report released by the University of Illinois Chicago's Great Cities Institute, commissioned by the Alternative Schools Network, reveals persistent and severe joblessness among youth and young adults, especially for Black and Latino residents, in Chicago and across the state. The report, Youth Employment Data Brief: Racial and Geographic Inequities in Youth and Young Adult Joblessness and Disconnection in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, and the U.S., 2019–2023, finds that while overall labor market conditions have improved since the COVID-19 pandemic, many young people, particularly those in communities of color, remain disconnected from both school and work. To fill the gap, a coalition of nonprofits proposes a job-training and placement program fueled by a $150 million appropriation from the state. Coalition members say that money could put 50,000 jobless youth and young adults into jobs paying $15 per hour throughout the summer and for the entire year for those not in school. "By connecting young people to meaningful opportunities, this program would make our communities safer, strengthen the state's economy and expand the labor market with a new generation of workers," said Rep. Justin Slaughter (27th), House chairman of the state legislative Black Caucus. "With these jobs and some social services that will be available to participants, the young people would feel prepared to navigate conflict and able to ask for the support they need to succeed in the workforce." Key findings from the 2023 data include: Young Black adults in Chicago are jobless at twice the rate of white peers. For Black 20- to 24-year-olds in Chicago, 47.6% were jobless. Statewide for that group the rate was 41%. In contrast, 19.5% of white 20- to 24-year-olds in Chicago were jobless, and 23.9% statewide. For Hispanic or Latino 20- to 24-year-olds, the jobless rate was 25.1% in Chicago and 22.9% statewide. One in seven Black 16- to 19-year-olds in Chicago was out of school and jobless, more than four times the rate for white peers. The out-of-school and jobless rate for Black 16- to 19-year-olds in Chicago was 14.3%, compared to 11.7% statewide. For the White population in that age group, the rate was 3.1% in Chicago and 5.7% statewide. Among Hispanic or Latino 16- to 19-year-olds, the rate was 3.6% in Chicago and 4.9% statewide. Youth joblessness topped 80% in parts of Chicago's South and West Sides. Some South and West Side areas of Chicago had jobless rates exceeding 80% for 16- to 19-year-olds, and out-of-school and jobless rates above 30% for 20- to 24-year-olds. Evidence supports the effectiveness of youth employment programs: Violent crime decreases. Analysis of one Chicago program saw a 43% drop in violent crime arrests during the program, so that at $3,000 per participant, the program generated an estimated 11:1 benefit-cost ratio, primarily from reduced criminal justice costs. Ready-to-work & community benefits. In a Boston program, participants were 29 percentage points more likely to have resumes prepared and 10 percentage points more likely to practice interview skills, and the youths experienced a 14.8 percentage point increase in feeling connected to people in their neighborhood and stronger mentorship ties. Academic benefits. A New York summer employment program showed participation led to statistically significant increases in the number of high school Regents exams taken and passed. Participating students made up 20% of the pass-rate gap between low- and higher-income students. Long-term financial benefits. Drawing from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a study of adolescent work experience influences on adult economic outcomes found: Higher adult wealth: Youth employment correlates with higher adult wealth accumulation and increased stock market participation Greater homeownership: Early work experience predicts greater likelihood of homeownership "We can't continue to leave our young people behind," said Sen. Willie Preston (16th), Senate chair of the state legislative Black Caucus. "These numbers show we have to get this state's youth ready to carry the burden of keeping our economy running full speed ahead. Job programs for them get us a long way towards that goal." "Policymakers and institutions must take targeted actions to expand access to employment, skills training, and mentorship opportunities, especially in communities hardest hit by unemployment and economic hardship," the report concludes. "If we invest in our young people, it will strengthen our state's economy for years to come," ASN Executive Director Jack Wuest said. "One of the major goals of this program is to get employers to get to know, and then hire, these young people full time when they have finished school." ABOUT THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS NETWORKThe Alternative Schools Network is a not-for-profit organization in Chicago working to provide quality education with a specific emphasis on inner-city children, youth and adults. Since 1973, ASN has been supporting community based and community-run programs to develop and expand training and other educational services in Chicago's inner-city neighborhoods. In addition to supporting direct services, ASN has been a consistent and effective advocate for community-based services whereby the people involved are active participants in developing and running programs, not passive recipients of services. To shape policies and programs, ASN has built an impressive track record of operating successful education, employment and support service programs. For more information please visit ABOUT The UIC Great Cities InstituteThe UIC Great Cities Institute works to link academic resources with a range of partners to address urban issues by providing research, policy analysis and program development. Tied to the University of Illinois at Chicago Great Cities Commitment, GCI seeks to improve quality of life in Chicago, its metropolitan region and cities throughout the world. For more information go to CONTACT:LAURIE R. GLENN773.704.7246lrglenn@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Alternative Schools Network Sign in to access your portfolio
Chicago Tribune
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Democratic lawmakers struggle to find consensus on criminal justice measures
SPRINGFIELD — Criminal justice reform has long been one of the most divisive issues between Democrats who control the Illinois General Assembly and the Republican minority. But it's also created a split between progressive Democrats and party moderates, who walk a fine line as they seek to avoid being labeled as weak on crime during the next election cycle. The intra-party differences have been on display in the final weeks of the spring legislative session as lawmakers have considered bills aimed at giving a chance at freedom to people serving lengthy prison sentences for crimes committed when they were youths and dropping a requirement that inmates serve a significant percentage of their original sentence. Last month, the divide left House Democrats unable to pass legislation that would have provided additional resentencing options for people convicted of committing crimes when they were under 21. It was a rare instance of a Democratic bill failing after being called to a floor vote. Democratic State Rep. Justin Slaughter of Chicago, a progressive on criminal justice issues who sponsored the sweeping 2021 criminal justice reforms known as the SAFE-T Act, acknowledged that for the party to be uniformly on board, proposals need to have 'the right mix of fairness in the justice system without disturbing the goals of enhancing public safety and ensuring accountability.' 'It's always been a tough pull and tug, trying to strike the balance between … wanting to make sure that you're prioritizing safety, prioritizing accountability, but at the same time creating an environment where you're able to address criminogenic risk behaviors and also address those who may have already touched our system to become rehabilitated,' Slaughter said. Criminal justice is an area where politicians have to tread carefully, said Chicago state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, a Democrat from the party's moderate wing. 'I think we have to be thoughtful about how we change the system and make sure that those that are charged with keeping us safe have the tools that they need and at the same time, we are dealing with the root causes and creating opportunities particularly for young people to live their best lives,' she said. Another sentencing reform-related bill did pass the House and is set to go before the full Senate after being approved last week by that chamber's Criminal Law Committee. The measure would clarify the timeline for when individuals behind bars —- for crimes committed when they were youths or young adults —- can be scheduled for a hearing before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. On April 30, the Senate passed a measure by a 34-17 vote to eliminate a barrier in Illinois' post-conviction petition process for people incarcerated for crimes committed when they were under 21. Three moderate Democrats voted against it: Patrick Joyce of Reddick, Suzy Glowiak Hilton of Western Springs and Meg Loughran Cappel of Shorewood. The bill is now before the House, which passed the legislation in 2023 during the last General Assembly session. But it never made it to the Senate floor for debate, despite having 18 sponsors in the chamber. Another bill passed by the House and now before the Senate aims to create a statewide public defender's office to assist under-resourced county public defender's offices throughout Illinois. State Rep. Dave Vella, the bill's chief sponsor, said the legislation could make the sentencing process more fair over time. 'The most important thing at a sentencing is you have competent defense who is willing to put up the mitigation and get the lowest sentence possible,' said Vella, a Democrat from Rockford and a former Winnebago County assistant public defender. 'When somebody gets a high sentence, a lot of times you'll see it's a defense attorney who doesn't know what they're doing.' Another piece of legislation under consideration takes aim at so-called truth-in-sentencing provisions in Illinois that reformers believe have contributed to unfairly long prison sentences, and with them an increasingly aged prison population. It would eliminate requirements that set a mandatory minimum percentage of a sentence an inmate must serve. It would also allow people to earn time off their sentences for consistently demonstrating good behavior and participating in education and professional programs. A group that calls itself Families Against Mandatory Minimums projected the state would save more than $60 million in the first year if the measure was enacted. Illinois joined a number of states enacting truth-in-sentencing laws in the 1990s after the passage of several tough-on-crime measures through the federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, known as the Crime Bill, then-President Bill Clinton's response to the scourge of street violence in the nation's cities. Under truth-in-sentencing law on the books in Illinois since 1998, a convicted criminal is required to serve a significant percentage of the sentence. The state prison population at the start of fiscal year 1996 was about 38,400 and had grown to more than 49,000 in February 2013. Today, the state's prison population stands at about 29,000. At a news conference in Springfield last week, Ronnie Carrasquillo, who was locked up for more than four decades for the 1976 murder of Chicago police Officer Terrence Loftus, spoke out in favor of the bill. Carrasquillo, who was 18 at the time of the crime, was released in 2023 after the state appellate court vacated his prison sentence of 200 to 600 years, ruling that the circumstances of his upbringing and his maturity level at the time of the crime should allow him a 'meaningful' opportunity for release. Because the Prisoner Review Board repeatedly denied him his freedom over the years, the court determined he hadn't been afforded that opportunity. While in prison, Carrasquillo mentored and started programs for other inmates, according to his lawyer. Carrasquillo said he believes people in prison should at least be eligible for sentencing review through the Prisoner Review Board without being saddled with a mandatory minimum. 'It's hard to watch people around you just be that empty,' Carrasquillo said. 'Everything becomes displaced; it becomes like you're walking in meaningless time. You're just up every day for what?' During a hearing later in the day before the House Judiciary Criminal Committee, Marta Nelson, director of sentencing reform for the Vera Institute, said Illinois takes one of the 'strictest approaches' in the nation to truth-in-sentencing. She testified there should be more opportunities for people incarcerated to be able to earn time off their sentences. State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, a Republican from Metropolis who sits on the committee, noted the options people in prison have for early release and asked how doing away with truth-in-sentencing laws would be received by victims of crime or their families. 'We talk about the fairness aspect of it. I know there will be victims in support of this. But there will be victims that will be adamantly opposed to this,' said Windhorst, a former state's attorney in Massac County in southern Illinois. 'The vast, vast majority of those victims, or the victim's families, are going to be not receiving the benefit of their bargain, so to speak.' State Rep. John Cabello, a Republican from Machesney Park who has worked as a police detective in Rockford, emphasized the need for victims and their families to be included in discussions of sentencing-reform proposals. 'There are a lot of victims and victims' families that I know that would be more than welcome, I believe, to come and testify. Especially when it comes to murder. Murder is cruel. It is final, at least for one person. It is a lifetime of anguish for their families,' he said. 'This is a very serious subject. And I firmly believe we really need to hear from some of these folks.' At the news conference where Carrasquillo spoke, state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, a Democrat from Aurora and a sponsor of the legislation, said she and advocates have been working on the measure for the past two years and acknowledged it still needs work before gaining the support of more of her Democratic colleagues. 'I think we understand that this is going to be a big push,' Hernandez said. 'I already had some conversations with my colleagues that this would be very difficult for them to vote on, and then they're in the same party that I am. So it's something that we're hoping to change their mindset on because at the end of the day, it is costing us a lot of money to keep individuals incarcerated. It's not helping them at all.'
