Prosecutors and law enforcement officials say Illinois budget stalemate is undermining public safety because of cuts to after-school and diversion programs for youth.
The law enforcement leaders urged state lawmakers and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner Wednesday to end their budget standoff, now in its ninth month. The stalemate has meant that prison-diversion programs like Redeploy Illinois that provide youth counseling are serving fewer teens across the state.
Their comments came just before Rauner discussed his plan to reform the state's criminal justice system to reduce incarceration rates. He called the failure to have a budget "a tragedy." He says that improving the state's economy will reduce the need for human service programs because more people will be employed.
