LCLC serves youth involved with the criminal justice system, age 24 and younger, in North Lawndale. We provide youth with a unique integration of legal and social services to empower them to develop self-reliance. We come alongside youth who have been accused of an act of delinquency in the Cook County Juvenile Justice Division or who have been accused of a crime in the Cook County Criminal Justice Division (adult court). We call our approach “holistic legal services”, and we offer legal representation, social services, mentoring, and advocacy to walk youth through – and away from – the criminal justice system. We serve youth throughout the full duration of their involvement with the criminal justice system. Our services begin while our youth have a case pending in juvenile or adult criminal court, but continue after the case is over during their period of supervision, probation, incarceration, or parole, or for six months if they are found not guilty. On average, we work with our youth for three years until they are completely free of the criminal justice system.
