Illinois is ranked 23rd overall for child well-being in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2013 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a widely cited gauge of the nation’s care of children that looks at four categories to determine each state’s status.
Illinois’ Youth Well-Being Ranks Near Middle in New National Report Read Full Article »
During the late 1980s and 1990s, Illinois’ youth prisons began filling up rapidly. The tough-on-crime approach that began in the 1960s was at the peak of popularity, and state law reflected it in mandatory minimum sentences and other provisions. From 1985 to 2000, the state’s population of incarcerated youth more than doubled, from 1,534 to 3,074.
Fewer kids in Illinois prisons – sexual assault and other problems remain Read Full Article »
National survey highlights Illinois as successful in reducing number of youth in prison or jail.
Illinois ranks 5th in decreasing number of incarcerated youth Read Full Article »
The National Juvenile Justice Network has featured Illinois as a "Comeback State" for its dramatic decrease in juvenile incarceration. The number of youth incarcerated in Illinois peaked in 2000 at 3,074; sicne that time it has declined by over 35 percent to 1,949 in 2010. Illinois has accomplished this turnaround through evidence-based alternatives to incarceration, programs that divert youth youth from secure custody, facility closings, reduced incarceration for minor offenses, and statewide realignment and reinvestment within the juvenile justice system.
Illinois: A Comeback State Read Full Article »
The Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission has named Connie Kaiser, longtime superintendent of the Champaign County Juvenile Detention Center, as the 2013 recipient of the Commission’s Juvenile Justice Champion Award.
Champaign County’s Connie Kaiser Recognized as Juvenile Justice Champion Read Full Article »
In a recently released national study, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) found that Illinois ranked among the four worst states in the country for rates of reported sexual victimization in juvenile detention facilities.
System Failure: Sexual Victimization in Illinois Juvenile Prisons Read Full Article »
The United States still puts more children and teenagers in juvenile detention than any other developed nations in the world, with about 70,000 detained on any given day in 2010. And as it turns out, this is very likely a bad idea.
Throwing children in prison turns out to be a really bad idea Read Full Article »
“I think about being out on the beach to get through it,” he said. “It’s better if I just do what I’m asked rather than fight and bicker.”
The 15-year-old student at Decatur’s Milligan Academy was one of three teenagers in the Second Chance re-entry project operated
by Macon County Court Services to complete 10 weeks of Washington Aggression Interruption Training this spring.
WAIT program helps teens learn to control their anger Read Full Article »
A year after this city drew new attention for soaring gun violence and gang bloodshed, creating a political test for Mayor Rahm Emanuel in President Obama’s hometown, Chicago has witnessed a drop in shootings and crime. Killings this year have dipped to a level not seen since the early 1960s.
Chicago Tactics Put Major Dent in Killing Trend Read Full Article »
The chair of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission says Gov. Pat Quinn must act quickly to protect kids in the state’s youth prisons. Retired Judge George Timberlake says incarcerated youth need to be able to complain safely to an independent government employee.
Experts say Illinois youth prisons need independent ombudsman Read Full Article »
