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- Our Mission -
The Juvenile Justice Initiative is a statewide advocacy coalition to transform the juvenile justice system. The JJI advocates to reduce reliance on detention, to enhance fairness for all youth and to develop adequate community based resources throughout the state.
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"But, in the end, I had to remind myself that I was dealing with children." Alex Kotlowitz, End Note, There are No Children Here.
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ModelsforChange
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation launched an initiative to help states become models of juvenile justice reform. "Models for Change: Systems Reform in Juvenile Justice" is an effort to create successful and replicable models of juvenile justice system reform through targeted investments in four key states: Illinois, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Washington. The initiative seeks to accelerate progress towards a more rational, fair, effective, and developmentally appropriate juvenile justice system. The Juvenile Justice Initiative is proud to participate in the Models for Change initiative.
Latest News from Illinois:
Senate Bill 2118, which passed the General Assembly without any opposition, was signed in to law by the Governor on August 15, 2008. The bill guarantees that youths can consult with an attorney prior to their first detention hearing which will provide more opportunities for them to receive community level rehabilitation services. Click here for a copy of the press release.
"Juvenile crime trends down, recidivism up" is a story in the OakPark-Leaves online edition on August 13, 2008. The story highlights recent trends and the public interest in offering juveniles rehabilitation instead of harsh punishment.
Voices for Illinois Children and the Juvenile Justice Initiative highlight the latest statistics released as part of the national 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The essay, "A Road Map for Juvenile Justice Reform," outlines new approaches to reform, including several underway in Illinois.
Chicago Tribune article, "Poll sees hope for young offenders," highlights the findings from the poll commissioned by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Click here for the MacArthur press release and click here for the full study: "Rehabilitation Versus Incarceration of Juvenile Offenders: Public Preferences in Four Models for Change States." The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin "Detention no solution for youths: poll" also covered the story.
"New Poll Shows Public Strongly Favors Rehabilitation for Youth," a press release issued on February 7, 2007, indicates that the public supports rehabilitation and treatment, not prosecution in the adult court or incarceration in adult jails or prisons. The poll by Zogby International was commissioned by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. Click here for the press release and click here for the poll.
JJI issued a press release highlighting the national report from the Justice Policy Institute entitled "The Dangers of Detention: The Impact of Incarcerating Youth in Detention and Other Secure Facilities" and focused on the need for reforms at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.
Latest News from Around the Nation:
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The Justice Policy Institute recently released a brief examining the the releationship between childhood trauma and justice system involvement for youth. Healing Invisible Wounds: Why Investing in Trauma-Informed Care for Children Makes Sense finds that as many as 9 in 10 youth in the justtice system have experienced a traumatic event, yet few such youth are identified as traumatized, and fewer receive appropriate treatment or placement.
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The National Juvenile Justice Network recently released "Advances in Juvenile Justice Reform" which highlights juvenile justice reform efforts across the country over the past year and a half. Click here for the press release. Click here for the full publication.
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On August 23, 2008, the New York Times published a letter from Jonathan F. Fanton, President, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. In the letter titled "Juvenile Justice Reforms," he highlights the work of the MacArthur Models for Change initiative. "Young offenders in community-based programs show consistently better outcomes than do those who are incarcerated, at a far lower cost to society."
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A new issue brief from the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families (WCCF) provides data on outcomes for 17-year-old youth in the adult criminal justice system. The brief, "Risking their Futures: Why Trying Nonviolent 17-Year-Olds as Adults is Bad Policy for Wisconsin," analyzes the results of a WCCF study of 1,000 17-year-old offenders in the state. The results strongly suggest a policy change for treating 17 year-olds in juvenile court.
The New York Times editorial August 19, 2008 encourages Congress to "impose a clear federal standard" that states cannot hold kids under the age of 18 in adult jails except for "heinous crimes like rape and murder."
The federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), at the U.S. Department of Justice, released a bulletin on transfer laws and concluded that they have little or no deterrent effect on juvenile crime. The report, Juvenile Transfer Laws: An Effective Deterrent to Delinquency?, also mentions that recidivism rates have increased, because of the transfer laws. Click here on information from the Campaign for Youth Justice about this report. Click here for the New York Times editorial about this issue on August 14, 2008.
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