Selected State Reports

State Documents

■ Special Service Area Financing Handbook, Department of Commerce and Economic Affairs (October 1982), 40 pp.

Illinois municipalities and counties are permitted to levy a tax in a particular area for the purpose of providing a special service or improvement such as free parking, ambulance service, water and sewer facilities and outdoor malls. This form of financing has been used in about 70 municipalities and 10 counties for more than 100 special service areas. By means of a series of questions and answers, this booklet provides information on most aspects of this technique, which has gained increased interest since the Illinois Supreme Court released its opinion in March 1978 upholding the constitutionality of special service area financing.

Other Reports

■    All They Can Do. . . : Police Response to Battered Women's Complaints, by David Reed, Sonia Fischer, Glenda Kaufman Kantor and Kevin Karales for the Chicago Law Enforcement Study Group, 109 N. Dearborn, Suite 303, Chicago 60602 (1983), 111 pp. plus appendices, $8.50 plus $1.50 postage and handling.

The problem of family violence has gained a good deal of attention in recent years. This study of battered women in five Cook County communities is based on extensive interviews with victims as well as police officers. The Illinois Domestic Violence Act, passed in 1982, contains a clear definition of abuse; nonetheless, many victims and some police are uncertain about when to take action and what action is appropriate. Changes are also needed in court procedures and in the role played by service providers. Ultimately, however, the authors agree that what is needed is a change in attitude toward violence as a means for resolving differences.

■    Holding Youth Accountable: A Manual for Organizing a Community Based Restitution Program for Delinquent Youth, by David E. Reed and Anne OBrien Stevens for the Chicago Law Enforcement Study Group, 109 N. Dearborn, Suite 303, Chicago 60602 (1983), 45 pp., $3 plus $1 postage and handling.

Using the experience of already existing restitution programs, this handbook provides useful information on how a community can organize such an effort. It discusses some of the important decision making points in the operation of a restitution program, points out some issues to consider in setting one up, as well as issues to consider in operating one, and lists a variety of helpful resources.

■    Needed: Serious Solutions for Serious Juvenile Crime, by David Reed (with others) for the Chicago Law Enforcement Study Group, 109N Dearborn, Suite 303, Chicago 60602 (1983), 32 pp., $3 plus $1 postage and handling.

The subtitle to this booklet suggests its contents: "A Report on the Results of Transferring Serious Juvenile Offenders to Criminal Courts for Trial in Cook County, Illinois, from 1975 through 1981." On the basis of their extensive research and numerous interviews, the authors conclude that the financial and social costs of mandatory transfers far outweigh any benefits such transfers might bring.

■    Illinois: A Bibliographic Essay, by Samuel K. Gove and Anna J. Merritt, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, 1201 W. Nevada, Urbana 61801 (winter 1982), 15 pp.

Anyone interested in Illinois government and politics will find here a good overview of available materials; topics covered are: general references, histories, the Illinois Constitution, the three branches of state government, local government (including Chicago), elections and general data collections. The essay appeared as an appendix in the recently published collection, Inside State Government, edited by James Nowlan. To make the essay more generally available, a quantity of reprints were also produced.

Items listed under State Documents have been received by the Documents Unit, Illinois State Library, Springfield, and are usually available from public libraries in the state through inter-library loan.                  Anna J. Merritt

June 1983 | Illinois Issues | 20