Disparities with Automatic Adult Prosecutions in Cook County, Illinois

Disparities with Automatic Adult Prosecutions in Cook County, Illinois by Patrice Garnette

To read this article on the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies website, click here.

A new study by the Juvenile Justice Initiative reviews three years of data for children under the age of 17 who were automatically tried as adults in Cook County, Illinois. Since 1982 juvenile court does not have to review the decision of whether a child will be convicted as an adult in Illinois. Regardless of background, mental or physical health, or any other factor, children aged 15 or 16 would automatically be tried as adults for certain offenses. Automatic adult prosecutions result in longer sentences and criminal records that hinder the child’s future education and job opportunities.