Kendall state’s attorney joins law enforcement leaders on investing in children’s programs

Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis joined other state’s attorneys, police chiefs and sheriffs in Springfield to speak with Illinois House and Senate leaders to discuss the current and future funding of programs for children that prevent crime and reduce recidivism, according to a release from the state’s attorney’s office.

Weis is the co-chair of the Illinois Executive Board for Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, Illinois.

With the current budget situation, many programs that focus on crime prevention for children as well as preschool and day care services are seeing the demand exceeding current funding levels, according to the news release. These programs, which focus on crime prevention, are successful and economic ways to keep kids from becoming involved in the criminal justice system, the state’s attorney’s office said.

Other programs work to help those already in the criminal justice system get back on track and help to reduce recidivism, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

“Without the proper increased funding, many at-risk children will be denied services that they so desperately need. Parents in need of support to help keep their children in educational environments should not have to choose between working and good childcare programs,” Weis said in the release from his office.

“Unfortunately, these children, without the necessary prevention programs, are likely to end up as statistics in our criminal justice system. The cost in the future will be much higher to deal with these issues which could be prevented with the proper funding of these programs. This is not a republican or democratic initiative. This is a true bipartisan effort,” Weis said.

The law enforcement leaders present at the meetings in March represented more than 300 law enforcement leaders who are members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois, an anti-crime organization that advocates for evidence-based investments in programs for kids that are proven to cut crime and violence.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids does not receive any funding from the state of Illinois for the programs they advocate for which help to prevent crime, according to the release.