As the birthplace of the juvenile court a century ago, Illinois is an ideal place to lay the groundwork for the juvenile justice system’s second century. A series of recent reforms and encouraging developments—including the reorganization of the state’s juvenile correctional agency, a small but significant roll-back in its transfer laws, and the expansion of fiscal incentives to encourage local governments to treat and rehabilitate young offenders in their communities—has created momentum. With support from the Models for Change initiative, Illinois seeks to capitalize on that momentum to make lasting improvements in the way it responds to young people accused of crime.
Background documents