Latest news with #RonHain
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Kane Sheriff's Office center that helps people impacted by criminal legal system start businesses launches independently
The Kane County Sheriff's Office's Entrepreneurship Center, which aims to help individuals impacted by the criminal legal system start businesses, is launching as an independent initiative of the sheriff's office, according to a news release from the office. Previously, the Honorable William H. Hall Entrepreneurship Center had been a Small Business Development Center satellite, the release said, and was supported by the Illinois Small Business Development Center, U.S. Small Business Administration and Waubonsee Community College. The transition to an independent center was a result of funding changes, the release said. Regarding Waubonsee's involvement with the center going forward, a spokesperson from the community college said in an emailed statement to The Beacon-News that 'the initiative grew larger than the budget provided,' and that the satellite 'was just the beginning of the plan to scale.' Waubonsee will be continuing its own SBDC-related work, the spokesperson said. A spokesperson from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which administers Small Business Development Center funding on behalf of the state, confirmed that the department will not be directly involved with the entrepreneurship center in Kane County going forward. The county's entrepreneurship center will now be funded through detainee commissary funds, like other programs the sheriff's office runs, and through the office's corrections budget, according to Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain. The center's programming is meant to help individuals who are 'often excluded from traditional entrepreneurship programs,' the release said. The Kane County Small Business Development Center opened last September, and was meant to help current and former detainees start businesses, according to the county. It evolved from a program that has given detainees the chance to participate in a business plan and pitch competition. Per the county, two former detainees have since launched a catering company and a trucking business. The sheriff's office also announced recently that the entrepreneurship center would be hosting a free 'Start Your Business' program for justice-involved individuals in Kane County and surrounding areas, including formerly incarcerated individuals and people on probation or parole, according to the news release. Participants will receive instruction on topics like business planning, marketing, financial management and accessing capital, with classes held remotely and in person. The goal of these efforts is to reduce recidivism, said Judy Dawson, the Sheriff's Office's director of diversion and reentry programs. She noted that individuals who start businesses as a result of this programming can create more jobs for other people who have been incarcerated, forming a sort of 'employment ecosystem.' Those entrepreneurs can also be mentors to individuals who have been affected by the criminal legal system, because they've had similar experiences. Individuals interested in the class can contact the Sheriff's Office Small Business Development Center coordinator Rudy Gonzalez at gonzalezrudy@ or 331-335-0300.
Chicago Tribune
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Salvador Rodriguez, Luis Santoyo join the 2026 race for Kane County sheriff
Two more candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to be elected Kane County sheriff in 2026, as current Sheriff Ron Hain prepares to retire when his term ends next year. Earlier this month, Kane County Undersheriff Amy Johnson announced her intention to run for sheriff — with Hain's support. So far, she faces two opponents, including a primary challenger. Salvador Rodriguez of Sugar Grove, who previously worked in the Kane County Sheriff's Office, has announced he is running for sheriff as a Democrat against Johnson. Luis Santoyo, a current Elburn village trustee, has announced he is running as a Republican for sheriff in the 2026 election. Rodriguez retired from the Kane County Sheriff's Office, where he said he worked for nearly 30 years and held a number of different positions — such as a patrol deputy, field training officer, K-9 handler, a sergeant in the Office of Professional Standards and a public safety police lieutenant, according to his campaign website. He said he was involved with the office's Explorer Post Program and also helped develop the office's Cadet Program, which gives individuals ages 17-20 insights into how the department operates and provides entry-level deputy sheriff training. Rodriguez said he has been planning to run for sheriff since last spring. He filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections in October, and has begun to accept campaign contributions, according to records from the state Board of Elections. His top goal is to provide leadership 'rooted in real community involvement,' he said on Monday, like facilitating talks with the community and partnering with local police departments. 'Everything from coffee with a cop to putting on programs where we come together with the youth,' he said. He said forming relationships with local communities could increase the likelihood that community members will call law enforcement when problems arise. 'Especially over on the East Side of Aurora, where it's low-income housing, where we're the busiest … one of the events that I want to do is to get some of us in uniform, go out there, knock on their doors and talk to them — and not in our (squad cars) where they're going to be intimidated, but us on foot in the neighborhood talking to everybody.' If elected sheriff, Rodriguez also plans to respond to what he called in a press release announcing his bid for sheriff 'the national disregard for the rule of law.' 'I think, nationally, there's just this whirlwind of uncertainty and things that aren't being enforced and are being enforced,' he said. 'I will not waver under any type of pressure from the federal government, federal police or just in general.' Rodriguez is also a Democratic precinct committeeman for Sugar Grove Township and a member of the Western Kane Democrats, according to Monday's press release. He's worked as an adjunct professor at Aurora University, he said, and attended schools in Aurora and Naperville as well as Aurora University. Also in the race is Luis Santoyo of Elburn, who's running as a Republican per the Illinois State Board of Elections. He filed his statement of organization on April 16. According to Santoyo's campaign website, he was born in Mexico and grew up in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. He previously worked as a detective in the Cook County Sheriff's Department, having investigated crimes like child exploitation and gang violence and serving as a forensic artist, hostage negotiator and dignitary protection specialist. He has also worked with immigrant and underserved communities, his website says. In 2023, he was elected an Elburn village trustee. The mid-term elections will take place on Nov. 3, 2026, with the primary election next April.
Chicago Tribune
29-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Fundraiser to benefit Kane County Specialty Courts Foundation
Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain and Undersheriff Amy Johnson have announced they will host the third annual spring fundraiser to benefit the Kane County Specialty Courts Foundation on Thursday, May 15, at the Kane County Judicial Building, 37W777 Route 38 in St. Charles. The event, which will go from 5:30 to 8 p.m., will include numerous silent auction items to bid on, 50/50 raffle tickets to purchase and live music, organizers said. There will also be appetizers, dinner and dessert prepared by Chef Porfirio and the Kane County Adult Justice Center's Inn Recovery student chefs. The Kane County Specialty Courts Foundation provides incentives and support for participants in Kane County's specialty courts – Adult Drug Court, DUI Court, Veterans' Court and Treatment Alternative Court. All proceeds from ticket sales and silent auctions at the event will go to the foundation. 'The foundation board is immensely grateful Sheriff Hain is offering this event for us again this year,' said Dennis Carr, foundation chair, in a press release about the event. 'The funds raised at the previous events are a significant resource for our work that has enabled us to do more for the specialty court participants.' Tickets are available on Eventbrite for $75 per person or for a special 30% discount with the purchase of two tickets. For more information, go to Veterans Benefits Fair set in Batavia A Veterans Benefits Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, May 2, at VFW Post 1197, 645 S. River St. in Batavia, officials with the post said. The event is free and open to the public. At the fair, veterans and their families can access vital information and resources, event organizers said. With over 50 vendors, including representatives from the Veterans Administration, Veterans Assistance Commission, Social Security Administration, VA home loans, Nicor and various non-profit organizations and veteran-owned businesses, the fair is designed to serve as a one-stop-shop for veteran benefits, officials with the VFW post said. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak directly with experts, gather information and ask questions about various programs and services available to veterans, according to organizers. McDonald Farm plant sale scheduled The annual McDonald Farm Plant Sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at the farm at 10S404 Knoch Knolls Road in Naperville. A wide selection of native perennials, grasses, organic vegetable and herb seedings and Mother's Day gift options will be available. Gardeners can also pick up organic compost or rain barrels, a sale announcement said. The farm anticipates having a variety of options for all areas of the yard, including plants that need sun, plants that like the shade or plants that like medium-wet soil. Vegetables available should include broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and more. Herbs include chives, cilantro, lavender, lemon balm, parsley, sage and thyme, among others.
Chicago Tribune
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Letters to the Editor: Vote yes on tax referendum to bolster Kane public safety; sheriff's wrong about why jail population's growing
Vote yes on tax referendum to bolster Kane public safety Over half a million people call Kane County home. We live here because we know that Kane is a safe, healthy and prosperous place to reside. We want to have a sense of safety and security in our daily lives. Public safety is a top priority, making life better for us and our families right here where we live, work, and play. Public safety in Kane County includes our sheriff, the courts and the offices of the state's attorney, coroner, circuit clerk, 911 and emergency management. It takes a lot of hard-working people to keep us and our children safe. Because of this, 71% of our expenditures from our general fund are for public safety. Kane County has been on a belt-tightening budget for many years. Since 2013, the county has sought almost no property tax levy increases, leaving the current levy far behind the cost-of-living increases. Some dips in general fund spending around 2020 were due to money provided for COVID relief, which covered a good portion of our general fund expenses, giving a false appearance of big jumps in spending over the last four years. But don't be fooled, Kane is lean and mean when it comes to saving the taxpayers money. Kane County has a referendum on the April 1 election ballot asking you, the voter, to approve a 0.75% sales tax for public safety. This means you would pay an additional 75 cents on a $100 purchase of tangible personal property bought at a retail store. This tax would not apply to daily necessities like food and prescription medicine. It would not apply to big ticket items like cars or trucks. This is not a property tax increase because we know our homeowners are already paying their fair share. Another benefit to this sales tax is both residents and nonresidents who shop, visit or work in Kane County are contributing to funding public safety. Kane needs to maintain public safety funding to ensure effective operation of our public safety offices. We need our specialty courts to continue providing mental health services and prevention initiatives. We need to protect our children from abuse and exploitation, including child pornography. My family and friends will be voting 'Yes' on this important referendum. If you would like more information about the sales tax referendum, please visit our website at or call me at 630-605-9244. Mavis Bates, Aurora Kane County Board Member, District 4 Sheriff's wrong about why jail population's growing In an article published in The Courier-News last week, Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain claimed that the Pretrial Fairness Act is responsible for Kane County's rising jail population and more arrest warrants being issued. Hain's claims are misleading and ignore the key factors truly driving the increase: prosecutorial and judicial choice. The law was designed to eliminate wealth-based detention, ensuring that people are incarcerated pretrial only based on safety and risk of flight, not on how much money is in their bank account. If Kane County's jail population is rising, it's because prosecutors are aggressively seeking detention and judges are granting these requests at higher rates — not because of the Pretrial Fairness Act itself. As Loyola University Chicago's Center for Criminal Justice Research has found, the law has reduced unnecessary pretrial detention and lowered failure to appear rates across Illinois. Sheriff Hain fails to account for the broader systemic issues contributing to rearrest. If he's concerned with a 'revolving door' in the criminal legal system, the solution is not more incarceration, but in investing in programs that have been proven to address the root causes of crime and stabilize vulnerable people. Increased funding for mental health programs, substance use treatment, housing and job training would be far more effective at making communities safer. Blaming the Pretrial Fairness Act because more people are in Kane County jail is overly simplistic and just wrong. It ignores the fact that in many other counties, the number of people in jail has gone down. It also distracts from the systemic issues that have kept certain communities in bondage for generations. Rather than reverting to the old unjust pretrial system that did so much damage in our communities, policymakers should focus on evidence-based solutions that prevent crime and support our residents who deeply need our help. David Cannon, Aurora Medicaid cut will be devastating for society's most vulnerable In Washington, the new U.S. House budget framework directs the Energy and Commerce Committee to cut at least $880 billion in spending. Details have not been released, but these reductions will result in deep cuts to Medicaid funding. This will have devastating consequences for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities — individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Among those who will be hurt is my adult son David. Because of a pre-birth brain injury, he is illiterate, cannot understand significant choices and needs 24/7 supervision. David lives in a Medicaid-funded group home and receives Medicaid-funded day training, both in Elgin. The federal government pays 51% of his service costs, while Illinois pays 49%. Any level of cuts in federal Medicaid funding would strip away access to vital services people like David need to live full lives in the community. And it's not just David. In Illinois thousands of adults with disabilities are waiting for Medicaid services. And that's right now, before any cuts! 'The care of human life and happiness,' Thomas Jefferson said, 'is the first and only legitimate object of good government.' The goodness of a society is judged by how it cares for its most vulnerable people. That's why budgets are moral documents that either ensure justice for all or treat individuals with disrespect. You don't have to be a genius to know that it's just plain wrong to shred safety net programs in order to provide massive tax cuts for billionaires and wealthy corporations. Please tell your senators and representative to reject harmful cuts to Medicaid. Legislators will be in their home offices this week. Please call, send an email or pay a personal visit. David is not just a number. He is a real person whose well-being is at stake. Please help protect people like him from reduced access to critical supports, longer waitlists and higher rates of institutionalization. James B. Gould, Carpentersville
Chicago Tribune
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Kane County sheriff says Illinois bail reform to blame for increase in jail population and arrest warrants
At Thursday's Kane County Board Committee of the Whole meeting, Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said the state's new bail reform is to blame for recent public safety data that shows an increase in the county's jail population and arrest warrant entries. According to the sheriff's presentation on Thursday, the average annual population at the Kane County Jail fell to 221 in 2024 (after the bail reform had taken effect), but has shot up to over 300 per day in 2025. Hain attributed much of the uptick to the institution of the Pretrial Fairness Act in Illinois. 'All it has done is put more people back in jail,' Hain told the board on Thursday. The Pretrial Fairness Act was several years in the making. In 2021, Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law the sweeping criminal justice reform legislation called the SAFE-T Act. Part of it, the Pretrial Fairness Act, eliminated cash bail. On Dec. 31, 2022, however – one day before it was set to take effect – the Illinois Supreme Court delayed its implementation to allow legal challenges over the legislation to be resolved. After a nine-month delay and the Illinois Supreme Court ruling that the bail measure was constitutional, Illinois became the first state to eliminate cash bail. It took effect on Sept. 18, 2023. Preliminary data from 2024 about the effects found that defendants were spending significantly less time in jail awaiting trial, with the number of people detained for more than three days after their initial hearing going down from 31% to 8% in the 21 counties analyzed, according to findings from Loyola University Chicago's Center for Criminal Justice Research. Warrants issued for failure to appear in court decreased from 17% to 15%, and pretrial jail populations decreased by about 14% in Cook County and other urban counties and by about 25% in rural counties studied. The one-year findings can be found at But now, more than a year later, the Kane County sheriff is arguing that the law's intended goal has been unsuccessful in Kane County. In addition to the recent uptick in annual average jail population, Hain said there has also been an increase in arrest warrant entries – up to 30-40 per day from 2024 to 2025, compared to an average of 5-10 from 2019 to 2023. He said the Pretrial Fairness Act reduces the time those arrested spend going through the county's reentry process. 'It's just a constant revolving door now, of people in custody for seven or less days,' Hain said Thursday, expressing concern about recidivism. On Thursday, Hain noted that housing more individuals in the jail also leads to increased costs for taxpayers. He said on Thursday that if the jail population continues in the direction it has been going, there could be an increase of around $2.5 million in costs, based on the average cost per person. At the meeting, District 4 Kane County Board member Mavis Bates noted that the purpose of the SAFE-T Act and elimination of cash bail was to keep people out of jail, thereby reducing jail population. Hain attributed the increase to more rigid guidelines for judges on deciding whether or not to detain an individual. 'Making nondetainable offenses – basically dictating what judges can and cannot decide – is hurtful,' Hain said at Thursday's meeting. 'Having those pretrial release conditions that people violate and don't quite understand in some cases is wrong. … The judges (before the Pretrial Fairness Act) had more autonomy, overall, in making these decisions when it comes to the charge at the time, their criminal history and the issues at hand.'
