Newsroom

Page May had only one word for it: torture. That was how she and others with the new activist group We Charge Genocide are classifying police brutality in Chicago in a report compiled for the United Nations Committee Against Torture, the findings of which were presented this week before a crowded room of activists at the Jane Adams Hull House.

In a sobering decision, the Illinois Supreme Court recently upheld the automatic adult prosecution of a 15-year-old who was living in a state residential home due to long-standing neglect by his family.

Earlier this June, Chicago Public Schools changed policies to reduce suspensions and expulsions that were ranked among the highest and most racially disparate in the country. But while restorative justice has gained popularity in recent years, many other school districts are still debating how to effectively discipline students.

ROCKFORD (WIFR) — Our kids are getting into trouble with police less often than they were a few years ago, but despite those numbers data from the state shows Winnebago County has one of the highest juvenile arrest rates in the state.

A Springfield group aimed at building racial unity is set to discuss “restorative justice” as an alternative to young people entering the prison system.

The Stephenson County Peer Jury Program resumes Oct. 8 to help first-time juvenile offenders understand the consequences of their crimes and avoid the pitfalls of the criminal justice system.

I recently learned of two traumatic events — both are connected to juvenile court but not to each other. I share both as further evidence of the need for best practices to take hold in our juvenile system.

Oficials of the Second Circuit Youth Council, formerly the Juvenile Justice Council, have planned its 21st annual one-day conference, Kids, Courts & Schools — What Works? The conference will be held on Thursday, Oct. 2 at the Rend Lake Resort and Conference Center. Registration for the conference will continue through Oct. 1. The registration fee is $55, which includes breakfast, lunch, handouts and door prizes.

Judge Jennifer H. Bauknecht will attend the National Leadership Summit on School Discipline and Climate in Washington, D.C., in October.

WASHINGTON – In a renewed private-public partnership, the Office of Justice Programs’ Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation are jointly providing $2 million to advance juvenile justice reform.