STATE'S ATTORNEY'S JUSTICE ACADEMY

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JUSTICE ACADEMY IN KANKAKEE COUNTY

State’s Attorney Introduces an After-School & Summer Solution for Kankakee County’s Kids

KANKAKEE, IL – The Kankakee County State’s Attorney’s Office announces that it has been awarded a grant in 2022 from the Illinois State Board of Education to start up and operate an after-school program for court-involved and opportunity youth in Kankakee County. The program is called “Justice Academy” and will facilitate tutoring, social-emotional learning (SEL), organized sports, arts and media programming, college tours and culinary arts during the hours when youth are most at risk of becoming offenders or victims of crime. 

“With this grant, we increased our investment in prevention and intervention efforts throughout Kankakee County.  The Justice Academy is aimed at improving academic outcomes and expanding enrichment opportunities for youth, with a focus on interrupting the cycle of trauma and resultant behaviors that usually precede delinquency.  Those who work with struggling youth in our community see the extraordinary untapped potential in every child, notwithstanding their current challenges.  While these are not quick-fixes, they are instead long-term investments that are necessary if we are ever going to reduce violence and trauma in our community.  A prosecutor’s office may not seem like the likeliest of agencies to lead this effort, but in Kankakee County we are doing our best to reform juvenile justice and this Academy is a long step in that direction."