Policy Watch

Firearms fix

Saving lives by stemming gun violence is the goal of a new law in Illinois that will strengthen background checks, shore up the state’s outdated gun-license system, and invest in mental health services for impacted communities.

The multi-pronged measure – passed with bipartisan support by the General Assembly -- was spurred by a fatal 2019 mass shooting in Aurora that revealed failings in the state’s Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card system. Five people were killed and six wounded by a warehouse worker whose firearms should have been taken away after his FOID card was revoked.

The law also is intended to solve months-long delays in the ability of the Illinois State Police to process FOID applications and renewals, made worse by a surge in gun-buying through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The law will:

  • Expand background checks to all gun sales, including all private, person-to-person sales – which Gov. J.B. Pritzker said would close “a deadly loophole” when he signed the measure into law.
  • Create a stolen-gun database
  • Require the Illinois State Police to monitor state and federal databases for prohibited gun buyers
  • Reinforce and streamline the FOID system by encouraging gun buyers to submit fingerprints through reduced application fees and automatic renewals, among other updates

The law was rooted in evidence-based recommendations for reducing gun violence in Illinois by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy. The recommendations were included in a report commissioned by the Foundation.

The legislation also directs the ISP to seek federal funds to assist with improvements to the FOID process, one of several recommendations in an op-ed column by Tim Daly, director of the Foundation’s Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform program.

About The Joyce Foundation

Joyce is a nonpartisan, private foundation that invests in evidence-informed public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.

Related Content

News

Reclaiming Reform: Policing, Public Safety & Public Trust

Joyce and Crain's Business Chicago hosted a public forum to discuss national best practices in police reform and assess how they could be applied to Chicago as the City works to implement it’s consent decree and selects a new leader of CPD.

Webinar

New Responses to Illegal Gun Possession: Prosecutor Led Gun Diversion Program Evaluation Results From Minneapolis, MN and Brooklyn, NY 

During this webinar, researchers from The Marron Institute and the Smart Decarceration Project housed at the University of Chicago present new findings from evaluations of two prosecutor led gun diversion programs

Webinar

Presenting a New Dashboard on Violent Deaths in Michigan

The new tool visualizes information on violent deaths in the state to help communities better develop prevention strategies and policies.

In The Media

Opinion: For those recently released from prison, a job is more than a second chance

Op-ed by Joyce's Quintin Williams. "April is Second Chance Month in Michigan and nationwide. It signifies the importance of jurisdictions reintegrating people with criminal records into community life."

Source
Crain's Detroit Business

News

Upcoming Event - Reclaiming Reform: Policing, Public Safety & Public Trust

We invite you to join us for Reclaiming Reform: Policing, Public Safety & Public Trust on May 3, 2023.

Webinar

New National Polling Data on Different Approaches to Public Safety in America

Lunch & Learn webinar presenting findings of new nationwide public opinion poll of likely voters on their views of various approaches to addressing public safety issues. April 2023

News

“Not Your Father’s DOJ”: The Emergence of Community Violence Intervention

Louisa Aviles, Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform's senior program officer, talks about her longtime experience in Community Violence Intervention (CVI).

News

Two Great Lakes States Launch Data Dashboards to Report Violent Deaths & Develop Prevention Strategies

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently launched MiDVRS and MNDVRS presenting data collected by the NVDRS, the most comprehensive source of data on violent deaths.