As a federally mandated State Advisory Group leading a statewide movement to a fairer, more effective, collaborative juvenile justice system, the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission recommends Illinois takes the following six steps now to start reducing the harms of juvenile justice system involvement, which are borne disproportionately by youth of color:
- Eliminating detention for children 10 – 12 years old
- Requiring use of alternatives to arresting and detaining children and youth in crisis
- Restricting secure detention to situations in which community safety is at risk
- Limiting the role of policing in schools
- Eliminating the trial, sentencing, and punishment of youth as adults
- Expanding the automatic expungement of juvenile records
To learn more on how policymakers can partner with community allies to take these immediate steps, read the Commission’s full statement here.
To read more about the Commission’s initiatives around Illinois, sign up for the quarterly eNewsletter here.