FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE
May 19, 2023
Illinois Justice Project Director Garien Gatewood joins Johnson Administration
Chicago - We at the Illinois Justice Project (ILJP) extend a heartfelt congratulations to our director, Garien Gatewood, who has been named Deputy Mayor for Community Safety by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Gatewood has served as director of ILJP for the past two years, overseeing the organization’s criminal legal system reform work with diligence, dedication, and optimism.
After joining ILJP in April 2019, Gatewood focused on strategies to help youth and adults avoid unnecessary involvement in the legal system and to provide support for people leaving incarceration and returning to their home communities.
Gatewood was appointed ILJP director in 2021. In that position he worked tirelessly with partner organizations to support the enactment of the SAFE-T Act, one of the most significant and sweeping pieces of criminal legal reform legislation in Illinois history. The legislation, which includes numerous reforms and aims to improve public safety and reduce incarceration, would eliminate cash bail to ensure that those accused of crimes are not detained in jail because they can’t afford to post money bond.
During the 2022 election season, Gatewood also worked to combat an intense misinformation campaign about the SAFE-T Act. More recently, he has been coordinating with experts and government officials to ensure police departments receive the technical assistance needed to implement critical policing reforms mandated by the law.
During his four years at ILJP, Gatewood has remained committed to delivering better care and support to Illinois youth, serving as co-chair of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice’s 21st Century Illinois Transformation Model. He currently serves on the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center Advisory Board. He has also worked with City of Chicago officials to reduce contacts Chicago Police have with youth and create a more meaningful diversion program.
Gatewood successfully advocated to uplift Illinois communities that suffered from economic disinvestment and high rates of violence and incarceration during the nation’s war on drugs. With partners, he advocated for the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program, which uses taxes generated from legal cannabis sales to fund community organizations working to address those harms. While serving as chairman of Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority budget committee, Gatewood was directly involved in allocating funds to support efforts like alternative emergency responses for people experiencing mental health crises.
We at ILJP will miss Gatewood’s thoughtful leadership, commitment to equity in the criminal legal system, and his unflagging good humor and optimism, but we know his talents and vision will serve the Johnson administration, and the people of the city, well.
For more information, please contact Annie Sweeney at annie@iljp.org.
The Illinois Justice Project was established in 2014 as a project of Metropolis Strategies, which was launched in 2011 by civic and business leaders to grow Chicago’s regional economy, promote sustainable development, and create safer communities. ILJP is a supporting organization of the Chicago Community Trust and is an affiliate of The Commercial Club of Chicago. We partner with more than 100 statewide organizations and policymakers.
# # #