...bringing services to the people. OFFICE OF THE ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL SENIORS CONSUMERS DISABLED PERSONS CRIME PREVENTION ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE COUNCIL Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign https://archive.org/details/regionalofficesbOOilli This brochure has been designed to acquaint you with the range of services and the kinds of help provided by the 19 regional Illinois Attorney General offices. We have opened these regional offices to make the state’s legal resources, which tor many years were concen¬ trated in Springfield and Chicago, readily available to citizens in all parts of the state. The regional offices are full-service operations, with full-time attorneys and other staff to give their attention to your problems and needs. If you have questions that are not answered in this brochure, or if you have suggestions that will help 11 s to make your regional office more effec¬ tive, I would appreciate hearing from you. Please address any comments to: Neil F. Hartigan, Attorney General, State of Safeguarding The Interest Of Seniors Q. "What special services does your office provide for senior citizens?" A. Our advocacy in this area focuses on combatting consumer fraud and crime in which senior citizens are targeted as victims, investigating nurs¬ ing home abuse, and assisting with health-related matters such as Medicare and Medicaid. Don Wood . Assistant Attorney General, confers with a senior citizen at the Peoria Regional Office. Q. "How can I be sure the person I talk to in your regional office will be reliable and informed?" A. You will be dealing with someone who has been thoroughly trained to handle problems confronting the elder¬ ly. Legal assistance will be available from your regional office, with back¬ up from the legal staff in Springfield and Chicago, if necessary. And remember: the ombudsman staff of the Attorney General’s Office has responded to 3,000 senior citizen in¬ quiries in one year! Q. "Do you get results for senior citizens?" A. In one case alone, a call from a senior citizen to one of our regional offices resulted in action on our part which caused several insurance compa¬ nies to refund $4 million to elderly fraud victims throughout Illinois. I SENIORS Protecting Illinois Consumers From Fraud And Unfair Business Practices Q. "How can I avoid becoming a vic¬ tim of consumer fraud?" A. Deal with established businesses and read all contracts, warranties and terms carefully. Be especially cautious of door-to-door salesmen. Don’t let your¬ self be coerced into snap decisions. And always remember this simple and reliable rule: if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true! Q. "Do I lose my legal rights once I sign a contract, pay my money, or accept services or merchandise?" A. You should, of course, take every precaution before doing any of those things. But you still have recourse to other action, including legal action. The Attorney General’s Office obtains millions of dollars in restitution for defrauded Illinois consumers every year. Q. "What should I do if I feel that I have been ripped off?" A. Contact your regional Attorney General’s office. You will receive assistance from attorneys and inves¬ tigators trained to enforce the Illinois Consumer Protection Act. Your prob¬ lem will be thoroughly investigated, and any necessary action will be taken. Carmen K roeger, of our Quincy Office , provides consumers with some handy tips. CONSUMERS Championing Rights Of The Disabled Q. "What are some of the special ser¬ vices your office provides for disabled persons?" A. We have established priority areas such as accessibility of public buildings and transportation, voters’ rights, education, employment, insurance and public benefits, and housing. In addi¬ tion to responding to individual citizen inquiries and requests, we have pro¬ posed and obtained legislation to bene¬ fit disabled persons throughout the state. Q. "What is the best course of action to take when disabled persons are dis¬ criminated against or denied their rights?" A. In Illinois, just contact the Attorney General’s office nearest you. Illinois has the only attorney general’s office in the country with a division that is specifically concerned with the rights of the disabled. Elaine Hirsch, left, Chief , and Susannah Smith, Deputy, Disabled Persons Advocacy Division, discuss legislation. Q. "The problems of the disabled can be rather specialized. Does your staff have the knowledge and experience to deal with them effectively?" A. Our advocates for the disabled have responded to thousands of inquiries, ranging from information and referrals to providing representation at ad¬ ministrative hearings. The regional offices have expanded this help to areas of the state in which the disabled population was previously inadequately served. DISABLED PERSONS Justice For Crime Victims Q. "Are crime victims entitled to any compensation?" A. Under the Illinois Crime Victims Compensation Act, which is adminis¬ tered by the Attorney General’s Office, out-of-pocket expenses above $200 incurred by victims of violent crime may be compensable, up to a maximum of $15,000. (As a result of legislation our office successfully supported, the $200 minimum loss requirement is now waived for persons 65 or older.) Q. "How does a crime victim go about obtaining this compensation?" A. An advocate in our regional office nearest you can answer any questions and assist in filing a claim. To be eligible, a victim must not have been violating the law, must have reported the crime to the proper authorities within 72 hours, and must have cooperated with authorities in ap¬ prehension and prosecution. If a vic¬ tim meets these requirements and has incurred and paid out-of-pocket expen¬ ses, we will assist in filing a claim. investigate, and make a recommenda¬ tion to the Court of Claims for award. Millions of dollars have been awarded to victims of violent crime in Illinois at our recommendation. Q. "What other assistance is available to crime victims?" A. Under an amendment to the Crime Victims Compensation Act, counseling services for crime victims are now available, as well as funds to enable crime victims or their families to hire necessary homemaker services. An advocate in our regional office nearest you can explain these programs. Q. "What are a crime victim’s legal rights?" A. The Illinois Crime Victim Bill of Rights provides that crime victims and their families have these rights: . to have the details of any plea or verdict explained in non¬ technical language . to be informed of the prisoner’s impending release on bond or parole . to present an oral impact state¬ ment at the time of sentencing CRIME VICTIMS Tackling Crime Before It Occurs Q. "I’ve heard people say that if crime is going to happen, there’s no stopping it. Is this true?" A. Certainly not. Crime can be re¬ duced if sensible precautions are taken. Individuals, families, and entire neigh¬ borhoods can take specific measures against crime that have been proved successful. Q. "What is your office’s involvement in crime prevention?" A. Besides conducting educational programs, we initiate crime prevention efforts through local law enforcement agencies, citizen groups, and civic organizations. Where crime prevention programs already exist, we cooperate with and provide technical assistance to the sponsors. Q. "What is a ’Neighborhood Watch’ program?" A. Under a "Neighborhood Watch" program, citizens keep an eye out for suspicious activities and report any irregularities to law enforcement offi¬ cials. It sounds simple, but a properly organized program of this type can reduce crime dramatically. At our regional office nearest you, you can get information about starting such a program in your neighborhood, as well as information about other crime prevention methods. The newly created regional offices have extended the Attorney General's services to every corner of the state. Beth Galley, left, Grant Monitor, and Joyce Banks, Advocate, Peoria Regional Office. CRIME PREVENTION Taking Care Of The Environment That Belongs To AI1 Of Us Q. "What is this hazardous waste prob¬ lem we’ve heard so much about?" A. Hazardous and toxic wastes are a daily product of our industrial society. If improperly handled, they can pollute the air, land, or water and threaten life and health now and for years to come. Q. "What can be done about the problem?" A. Illinois has strict laws regulating the generation, storage, transportation, and disposal of these wastes. The Office of the Illinois Attorney General monitors the situation, prosecutes violators, and can force the clean-up of contami¬ nated areas if necessary. For example, we obtained a court order under which 16 million pounds of cyanide- contaminated plastic chips stored around the state were decontaminated and removed. The full monitoring and prosecuting powers of the Attorney General's Office are committed to saleguard ing the Illinois environment. Q. "What should I do if I suspect a violation of hazardous waste regula¬ tions has occurred in my area?" A. Contact our regional office nearest you. A qualified specialist is ready to respond to your inquiry. If the matter is within the jurisdiction of the Attor¬ ney General, you may file a complaint, and an environmental specialist may conduct an investigation to determine necessary action. It is especially impor¬ tant for us to hear from alert and concerned citizens when violations occur in residential neighborhoods, near farmland and water, and by pub¬ lic parks, schools, and playgrounds. ENVIRONMENTAL Assisting The Farmer Q. "What can your office do for farmers?" A. The Agricultural Law Division of the Attorney General’s Office was created to address vigorously the prob¬ lems of agricultural fraud and other farm community concerns. Besides responding to complaints and inquiries from individual farmers, the Office initiated and obtained passage of the Illinois Grain Elevator Insurance Act. This Act gives farmers the same pro¬ tection for their deposits in grain elevators that others have for their bank deposits. The regional offices have enabled the Attorney General to be more responsive to the needs of the farm community. Q. "What should a farmer with a com¬ plaint or inquiry do to obtain help from your office?" A. Just contact our regional office nearest you. The 19 regional offices have been particularly effective in improving our service to the agricul¬ tural community. Instead of dealing with Springfield or Chicago as in the past, you will be dealing with someone from your own area who understands your problems and is in a better posi¬ tion to help. For example, when loan brokers left a downstate area after accepting substantial fees from farmers for undelivered loans, lawyers from our Quincy Regional Office advised the farmers to stop payment on checks. After this incident, our office pro¬ posed legislation requiring registration and bonding of loan brokers. Getting Problems Solved Q. "What is the Attorney General’s Citizens Public Service Council?" A. The Council is a clearinghouse to assist people with government services they aren’t aware of, don’t understand, or can’t reach. After all, if people don’t have access to the services government offers, then those services don’t really exist...even though people are paying taxes for them. Q. "How does the Council work?" A. The Council compiles appropriate resources for referrals, facilitates con¬ tact with agencies that can resolve problems, and expedites follow-up procedures. When an individual’s needs are not properly answered by personnel in other agencies, the Coun¬ cil assumes an advocate role. Q. "How can I get in touch with the Council, and what kinds of problems will your staff be able to help solve?" A. Just contact our regional office nearest you. Inquiries the Council handles involve such matters as con¬ sumer problems, employer/employee disputes, family problems (such as divorce, child abuse, and child custo¬ dy), problems with the federal govern¬ ment (including bankruptcy, immigra¬ tion, the post office, and the armed forces), financial institutions (banks, credit unions, and currency exchanges), insurance problems, landlord-tenant issues, legislation, medical matters, public aid, real estate (irregularities, mortgages, foreclosures), nursing homes, collection agencies, and utilities. SERVICE COUNCIL Our Main Goal Is To Serve You The Office of the Attorney General is charged by the Illinois Constitution, state statute, case law and our common law heritage with representing all the citizens of this state as their attorney. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 3 0112 122596262 OFFICE OF THE ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL HEADQUARTERS OFFICES 500 S. Second Street Springfield, IL 62706 217-782-1090 100 West Randolph Street Chicago, IL 60601 312-917-3000 (Printed by Authority of the State of Illinois) (47672—200M—6-85)