The Evaluation of the Illinois Multi-Site Police-Initiated Deflection Initiative

Authors

  • Alex Menninger Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
  • Jessica Reichert Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7239-7030
  • Nancy Sullivan Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
  • Cameron Kimble Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
  • John P. Smith Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
  • Sharyn Adams Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15908568

Keywords:

Criminal Justice, program evaluation, Recidivism, evidence-based practices, Illinois, reintegration, rehabilitation, Criminal Justice System, Deflection

Abstract

Deflection is a growing field that assists persons with police contact to improve individual, community, justice system, and public health outcomes. The Illinois Multi-Site Deflection Initiative is a groundbreaking project aimed at increasing the number of deflection programs in the state to help individuals who come into contact with police. Since 2021, the initiative has been spearheaded by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) in partnership with the Illinois State Police and Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC). As of July 2024, the initiative has 11 programs operating or in the planning stage across 45 counties. IDHS funded the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) to conduct an independent evaluation to study the programs’ planning, development, and operations, as well as assess and measure outcomes. We share the evaluation design, data, and challenges faced during this multi-year evaluation. The evaluation team’s process evaluation assesses program activities and offers recommendations for programmatic enhancement. We offer a point-in-time description of current evaluation activities and future plans.

Author Biographies

Alex Menninger, Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

Alex Menninger is a Project Manager with the Center for Justice Research and Evaluation at ICJIA, where he is evaluating a multi-site deflection program. He has previously conducted research in infectious diseases, climate science, and nutritional science. His interests include the intersection of climate change and human migration, leveraging public health programming to reduce criminalization, and applying community-based participatory research. He earned an MPH from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill with a concentration in health equity, human rights, and social justice.

Jessica Reichert, Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

Jessica A. Reichert is a highly accomplished and experienced researcher in criminology. With over two decades of expertise, she has made significant contributions through her work at the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, where she currently serves as a Senior Research Scientist and Manager of the Center for Justice Research and Evaluation. Ms. Reichert's research interests span a range of topics, including policing, deflection/diversion programs, behavioral health, probation and court services, corrections, and reentry. She has published extensively on these subjects, authoring numerous technical reports and peer-reviewed articles. Her work has garnered recognition and has been a four-time recipient of the Justice Information Research Network's National Research Publication Award. Ms. Reichert was also an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago, teaching crime analytics and research methods courses. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a bachelor’s degree from Bradley University, both in criminal justice.

Nancy Sullivan, Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

Nancy Sullivan has been part of ICJIA’s multi-site deflection initiative evaluation team for over two years. She joined the agency shortly after graduating from Loyola University Chicago with a master’s degree in Criminology and a graduate certificate in Public Affairs and Management. Her focus has been on analyzing administrative data from deflection programs, presenting insights to funders and community stakeholders, and developing local data dashboards.

Cameron Kimble, Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

Cameron Kimble is a former Research Fellow who contributed to the evaluation of IDHS police deflection programs. Before ICJIA, he was a researcher at the Brennan Center for Justice and a Graduate Research Fellow in Urban Studies at New York University. His research focused on the economic impact of criminal sanctions. He holds an MA in Urban Studies from NYU and a BA in Economics from Miami University.

John P. Smith, Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

John P. Smith is a former Research Fellow with ICJIA and a McNair Scholar. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Northeastern Illinois University and a master’s degree in International Family Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Before joining ICJIA, he worked as a job coach at Heartland READI, supporting victims and perpetrators of gun violence.

Sharyn Adams, Center for Justice Research and Evaluation, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

Sharyn Adams has served as a Research Analyst with ICJIA since 1998. She has contributed to numerous research projects, including evaluations of multi-jurisdictional drug task forces, analyses of juvenile arrest trends, and studies of police-led deflection initiatives. Her longstanding expertise brings institutional memory and depth to justice system evaluations.

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Published

2025-07-16

How to Cite

Menninger, A., Reichert, J. A., Sullivan, N., Kimble, C., Smith, J. P., & Adams, S. (2025). The Evaluation of the Illinois Multi-Site Police-Initiated Deflection Initiative. Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Human Rights and Science, 7(11). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15908568

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 11 (2025): Rethinking Public Safety and Behavioral Health: Innovations in Police Deflection and Community-Based Interventions

Section

Articles

Categories

URN

http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:101:1-2507161523269.509954175641

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Copyright (c) 2025 Alex Menninger, Jessica Reichert, Nancy Sullivan, Cameron Kimble, John P. Smith, Sharyn Adams

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