NCJ Number
181067
Journal
The Compiler Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 1999 Pages: 9-11
Date Published
1999
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A historical review of issues faced by policy makers and other professionals in the juvenile justice system in Illinois is presented to evaluate trends in the juvenile justice system and juvenile delinquency over the past 30 years.
Abstract
During the 1970's, female delinquency received considerable attention by the media in Illinois, as did violence in and around schools. Several programs were instituted to address the needs of young females who wanted to get past their involvement in gangs and delinquency. These programs focused on residential treatment, rehabilitation, school dropouts, job skills training, and first-time offenders. During the 1980's, a survey revealed that almost all adolescents had engaged in behavior that could have brought them to the attention of police by the time they were 18 years of age. Most behaviors involved status offenses, but a significant number of moderately serious offenses were reported. From the mid-1970's into the 1980's, the media often focused on a "get tough" response to juvenile crime. Especially during the 1980's, considerable media coverage was given to more punitive responses to juvenile crime. During the 1990's, increases in the rate of violent crime committed by teenagers dominated the headlines. For the most part, juvenile crime trends in Illinois during the early 1990's were consistent with national trends. Getting tough on juvenile crime continued to be pervasive theme in the 1990's. In the late 1990's, however, Illinois enacted the Juvenile Justice Reform Provisions of 1998 to hold juveniles accountable, build competency in delinquent youth, and protect the community.