Kimberly Foxx, J.D., a trustee of Adler University and the Cook County State’s Attorney, was named by Illinois Gov.-Elect JB Pritzker as a co-chair the Restorative Justice and Safe Communities Committee. The committee is the eighth of several working groups of the transition made up of subject-matter experts who will advise the incoming administration.

The committee will work on criminal justice reform and public safety. Pritzker and Lt. Gov.-elect Juliana Stratton said they want to build a new justice system that is tied to economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities. “That’s a system that diverts youth and adults from incarceration in the first place, a system that modernizes sentencing, a system that encourages rehabilitation, and a system that works to reduce gun violence and creates economic opportunity,’ Stratton said.

Learn more about the Restorative Justice and Safe Communities Committee.

“The state of Illinois needs to reimagine our criminal justice system,” Foxx said. “This committee will work to challenge and transform the ways our state deals with systemic issues that leave communities of color behind. I look forward to JB and Juliana’s leadership statewide to address gun violence and a more holistic approach to public safety.”

Foxx’s role on the Restorative Justice and Safe Communities Committee relates to the mission of Adler University and the work of our Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice. The Institute collaborates with community organizations to develop public safety solutions that restore people, families, and neighborhoods to their optimal functionality. The Institute’s projects include the Community Restorative Justice Hubs and the evaluation of the Restorative Justice Community Court in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood.