Commissioner Britton is proud to have voted for and helped guide the spending of Cook County's $1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act dollars. This once-in-a-lifetime infusion of federal dollars will be spent over three years and aims to support both immediate recovery needs as well as long-term transformative initiatives. Plans include:

• Gun Violence Prevention and Reduction Grants: The Cook County Justice Advisory Council will award up to $65 million in grants for programs designed to prevent and reduce gun violence in Chicago and Suburban Cook County. This program has been designed to be inclusive of large and small programs to fund violence prevention strategies including mental health, employment services, street outreach, and case management. Grants will also support programs geared toward residents at risk of being involved in community violence.

• Gun Crimes Strategies Unit: This program embeds Assistant State's Attorneys in six of Chicago's most violent police districts. This will allow the Cook County State's Attorney Office to expand the reach and efforts of the GCSU to help combat the rise in violence and shootings within the City and the South Suburbs.

• Programs and Services for Domestic Violence Survivors: Levels of domestic violence have risen during the pandemic. Grants will be made available to providers that support survivors of domestic abuse to fund legal resources, mental health resources, and rapid housing resources.

• Strengthening Chicago's Youth Juvenile Collaborative: Services will be aimed at reducing violence and minimizing justice involvement for youth who have experienced violence or trauma. This will include trauma-informed care coordination for 500 justice-involved youth per year over the next three years via intake, assessment, connection to evidence-based programming and pro-social services, emergency assistance, family support services, and post-discharge monitoring.