epcadmin

Court evaluations, new commitments, and technical violations are three ways in which youth may be admitted to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, the state's juvenile corrections agency. This article is the first of a three-part series examining the use of incarceration to address juvenile delinquency in Illinois. Admissions to IDJJ for court evaluations is examined, including admission trends and the impact court evaluation admissions have had on the profile of committed youth.

"When juveniles are found guilty of sexual misconduct, the sex-offender registry can be a life sentence."

New research shows LGBT people are facing higher rates of incarceration and unfair treatment in the country's criminal justice system.

"The United States is a nation of second chances, but the experience of solitary confinement too often undercuts that second chance. Those who do make it out often have trouble holding down jobs, reuniting with family and becoming productive members of society. Imagine having served your time and then being unable to hand change over to a customer or look your wife in the eye or hug your children."

"The Justice Department has completed its review, and I am adopting its recommendations to reform the federal prison system. These include banning solitary confinement for juveniles and as a response to low-level infractions, expanding treatment for the mentally ill and increasing the amount of time inmates in solitary can spend outside of their cells. These steps will affect some 10,000 federal prisoners held in solitary confinement — and hopefully serve as a model for state and local corrections systems. "

On Tuesday, Governor Rauner "spoke in Springfield at a meeting of the Illinois State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform, where he commended the efforts of the group he created last year to achieve that goal…The governor added that the goal is to move the corrections system away from simply housing offenders and keeping them away from the public, and to focus on effective rehabilitation, such as substance abuse training, mental health treatment and counseling to ensure those offenders don’t make the same mistakes again."

In addition to addressing financial concerns, Governor Rauner also discussed the issue of reducing the over representation of minority youth coming in contact with the juvenile justice system. Governor Rauner "encouraged them not to shy away from emotionally charged racial issues that may be contributing to a disproportionate number of minorities and ethnic groups being incarcerated at a young age."

As Congress weighs how to spend federal dollars in 2016, it is essential that they not overlook our country’s most valuable and vulnerable resource: our children.
In years past, federal funds have helped states finance programs that serve children who are, or are at-risk of becoming, involved in our juvenile justice system. These programs help build stronger futures for our young people, families, and communities by providing children with the supports they need to become successful adults.

So … keep marching. Civil disobedience has led to justice in this country and can do so again. March until we get it right. Change the system.

The number of children being committed to prisons or other detention facilities has dropped by about 53 percent across the country. According to a recent look at federal data by the Pew Charitable Trust, Illinois saw the eighth largest drop in that number from 2001 to 2013. Elizabeth Clarke, president of the Illinois Juvenile Justice

From a dilapidated, dangerous detention facility where abuse of inmates was rampant, to a modern rehabilitation center where juvenile delinquents go to school, learn yoga and get mental help