Report: State Should Rethink Youth Prisons
Nov 17, 2011, Kurt Erickson, Bloomington Pantagraph (IL)
SPRINGFIELD, IL -- A new report says Illinois is locking up too many juveniles in youth prisons that are understaffed and lack effective programs.
The Chicago-based John Howard Association, which monitors the state's prison system, says more than two-thirds of the inmates housed within the Department of Juvenile Justice are non-violent offenders who may be unsuited for the prison-like atmosphere of eight youth facilities in Harrisburg, Murphysboro and elsewhere.
The state "spends an enormous…
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- Issues
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Community-based alternatives
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Illinois
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Mental Health / Juvenile Justice Action Network