Black youth who interact with the criminal justice system often face additional hardships like unemployment or housing instability. When compounded by inadequate legal representation from an underfunded and overburdened public defender system, this increases their likelihood of committing recidivism and experiencing incarceration.  

Lawndale Christian Legal Center (LCLC) connects high-risk court-involved youth in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood to legal and social services within the community. LCLC aims to provide timely, comprehensive supports that match the unique needs of each client to decrease involvement in the criminal justice system and increase access to services for education and vocational achievement.  

The Inclusive Economy Lab is conducting a randomized controlled trial to evaluate LCLC’s holistic model, comparing the outcomes of youth who receive LCLC's legal and social services to youth who receive legal services elsewhere. If effective, LCLC’s services could offer a new paradigm for deploying legal and social supports in the criminal justice system.