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MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Workforce report at Illinois appellate prosecutor’s office shows underutilization of minorities

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SPRINGFIELD – Workforce statistics at the Illinois State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor’s office show that White persons held 66 of 73 jobs at last report, a rate higher than 90 percent.

Census data show that an average Illinois employer with the same number of positions in the same categories would employ 54.6 White persons, a rate lower than 75 percent.

An Equal Employment Opportunity Plan Utilization Report of Oct. 3, 2016, shows that chief appellate prosecutor Patrick Delfino employed one Black man and no man from any other minority group.

Not one Asian worked for the agency.

White men held six of seven top jobs as administrators or officials at the office, and a White woman held the other one.

Census data show that an average Illinois employer with seven officials and administrators would employ 3.5 White men, 2.1 White women, and 1.4 others.

Among 49 professionals, the agency employed 24 White men, 19 White women, four Black women, a Black man, and a Hispanic woman.

Census data show that an average Illinois employer with 49 professionals would employ 16.5 White men, 20.5 White women, 2.9 Black women, 2.4 Asian men, 2.1 Asian women, 1.5 Black men, 1.5 Hispanic women, 1.2 Hispanic men, and 0.5 percent others.

Among 17 support staff, the agency employed 14 White women, two White men, and an American Indian or Alaskan native.

Census data show that an average Illinois employer with 17 support staff would employ 7.6 White women, 4.4 White men, 1.5 Black women, 1.3 Hispanic women, 0.8 Hispanic men, 0.6 Black men, 0.3 Asian men, 0.3 Asian women, and 0.2 others.      

The report suggested that the agency’s small size makes “underutilization” insignificant. 

“Given the Agency’s size of its workforce in federal fiscal year 2016 (73 total employees), it is difficult to interpret the level of underutilization in each job category as significant when comparing it to the labor market of Illinois,” it stated.

The introduction stated that the report is a condition of receiving U.S. Justice Department funding, and that its purpose is “to make sure that recipients of financial assistance from the Justice Department are providing equal employment opportunities to men and women, regardless of sex, race, or national origin.”

Throughout the fiscal year in the report, and for three previous years, former LaSalle County state’s attorney Brian Towne led the board of governors of the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office.

When voters turned Towne out of office last November, Delfino hired him as a special prosecutor at a salary of $130,000.

Towne now faces 17 indictments in LaSalle County, on charges of misconduct and misappropriation of county funds.

Throughout Towne’s tenure as board chairman, St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly held a seat on the board.

Kelly, currently running for Congress, resigned from the board in June.

Union County State’s Attorney Tyler Edmonds was elected last week to the spot Kelly had held as representative of the Fifth Appellate District, which encompasses 37 southern Illinois counties.

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