Forty years after its birth, the landmark federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act could be reauthorized by Congress this year.
Will This Be the Year JJDPA Is Reauthorized? Read Full Article »
Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel recently was appointed to Illinois’ Juvenile Justice Commission by Gov. Pat Quinn.
Nearly 63,000 unaccompanied children — mostly from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador — crossed into the United States between Oct. 1 and July 31 without prior permission, according to government data released early in August. Another nearly 63,000 people crossed with family members. The numbers represent an increase of nearly triple over the same period last year.
Aid Scarce for Immigrant Children in South Texas Read Full Article »
As part of the follow up to the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission’s recent report on juvenile sex offenses, we have begun interviewing young people who have been adjudicated for a sex offense to see how conviction and registration statutes have changed their lives. We also want to know more about how the victims have been affected.
Juvenile Sex Offender Registries Don’t Make Us Safer Read Full Article »
The protests in Ferguson, Mo., have captured the attention of the nation, focusing on the injustice and racial disparities in the justice system — in Ferguson.
The issues raised by the Ferguson protests are complex, but the frustrations with the disparities in our justice system
Ferguson a Stark Reminder of Racial Disparity in Nation’s Justice System Read Full Article »
“In Their Own Words” examines how young people convicted of serious offenses perceive the criminal justice system, from arrest to prison. The study grows out of a pilot project we have developed to improve the criminal justice system’s response to young people who are prosecuted as adults in Cook County, Ill.
How to Improve the System’s Treatment of Kids? Ask Them Read Full Article »
Chicago Bulls star Joakim Noah says he can’t sit by idly and watch the devastating violence in Chicago that recently claimed an innocent child sitting inside her home about to make s’mores.
Joakim Noah urges Chicagoans to put down their guns in PSA Read Full Article »
Graham was a panelist at a panel discussion held on Friday at Richland Community College during the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Illinois State Conference. The topic was “school discipline, curriculum, standards and accountability impacting students from low income and racial minorities,” but nearly all the discussion centered on school discipline issues.
NAACP delves into school punishment disparity Read Full Article »
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded a $285,634 grant to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, located in Chicago, Illinois, to help assist in the development and implementation of up to three substance abuse treatment programs in correctional and detention facilities across the state.
In juvenile justice circles, I often hear repeated comments that go something like this: “Schools just call the cops. Many have stated policies that teachers and administrators cannot intervene physically and suspension or expulsion is required. These policies widen the net for the juvenile justice system leading to prosecution, detention — and sometimes prison.” Another comment recited in conversation is that it “used to be that a teacher broke up fights, referred the students to the principal for ‘the talk’ and for parental notification, and that ended school involvement.” Of course, the reason for the conflict might not be addressed, and conflict often continues. The trauma of a physical battle might linger for a lifetime.
Some search for better responses to this type of situation, and I recently learned of a good result in an Illinois institution. An administrator contacted a community group which has trained mediators experienced in attempting to resolve conflict in just this type of fight. They agreed to consider an intervention.
OP-ED: Restorative Justice Isn’t Fluff, It’s an Investment in the Future Read Full Article »
