NCJ Number
177643
Date Published
1996
Length
109 pages
Annotation
The Illinois Legislative Committee on Juvenile Justice assesses the State's current juvenile justice system and presents findings and related recommendations in 10 areas.
Abstract
The Committee advises that there is a need to emphasize the safety needs of the community as well as the treatment needs of individual juvenile offenders. The Committee recommends the addition of language to the Juvenile Court Act to give equal emphasis to holding minors accountable for unlawful behavior and protecting the community. Noting that most offenders do not come to the attention of the juvenile justice system until they are well into their criminal careers, three recommendations pertain to limiting the use of station adjustments, the imposition of sanctions and use of referrals when a juvenile first commits an offense, and increased use of community-based services and graduated sanctions. Recognizing that youth coming into the justice system often have multiple problems, three recommendations focus on in-depth assessments, individualized treatment plans, the availability of services, and the imposition of sanctions for prohibited behavior. Because services for juvenile offenders vary throughout the State, the Committee offers recommendations regarding the role of State and local agencies in planning and delivering services to juvenile offenders. Other recommendations address the accessibility of information about a youth's previous criminal activity; current law regarding expungement of juvenile records; the training and experience of juvenile justice system staff; the limited information on "what works"; and probation for juveniles transferred to criminal court. A minority report with additional recommendations and appendixes with statistical overviews and analysis are included.