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"Stemming the Tide: Diverting Youth with Mental Health Conditions from the Illinois Juvenile Justice System" from the Illinois Mental Health Opportunities for Youth Diversion Task Force makes recommendations for putting youth with mental health conditions on the road to recovery so that they are less likely to come into contact with the juvenile justice system.

By: Julie Biehl

"Ever do something really foolish as a teenager? Spray-paint the water tower? Jump the turnstile? Take the neighbor’s car for a joy ride? Those and any number of other stupid mistakes are made by teenagers over and over in every corner of Illinois. Nearly every one of those kids will grow out of it and grow up to become crime-free, even productive, citizens. But actions like that can be life-changing — and not in a good way — for those who end up in a police station and possibly in juvenile detention. About 24,000 kids in Illinois are arrested every year, and the overwhelming majority of them will carry that arrest record around with them for the rest of their lives."

"In Illinois, the minimum age of detention for minors is 10 years old. The national standard is 13, as is suggested by the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, a project led by the Baltimore-based private philanthropy, the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In comparison, the minimum age in Illinois to sentence a minor to juvenile state prison after trial is 13. To match these national standards, some Illinois legislators and juvenile justice advocates are pushing to raise the age from 10 to 13, citing scientific research into the lifelong effects after detention."

On May 6, 2017, Illinois DCFS Director George Sheldon signed enhanced department procedures to be followed when providing services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) children and youth in the department’s care.
The procedure includes increased mandatory LGBTQ training for anyone involved with LGBTQ children and youth in care; and clarifies protections for transgender/gender expansive youth in care.

The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, in partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges has released a new technical assistance brief: "Engage, Involve, Empower: Family Engagement in Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts." This brief was funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and is based on the results of a nationwide survey of juvenile drug treatment courts, juvenile mental health courts, and hybrid juvenile treatment courts.

"The Pittsburgh Foundation announced the completion of an eight-month study that involved partnering with community-based nonprofits to interview 53 youths and young adults with former or active cases in the county's juvenile justice system. Foundation officials expect the 31-page report's findings to spur grantmaking opportunities and community partnerships."

"Strengthening Chicago’s Youth (SCY) at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, together with Cook County Juvenile Probation Department, TASC, the Illinois Collaboration on Youth and 10 community-based service providers, launched the Juvenile Justice Collaborative project."

"Harvard Kennedy School’s Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management and the National Institute of Justice today released a new report with recommendations for a common-sense, bipartisan approach to halt the heavy reliance on incarcerating young people. The report, The Future of Youth Justice: A Community-Based Alternative to the Youth Prison Model, documents how conclusively youth prisons fail at protecting the community or turning young lives around."