Elizabeth Clarke
Founder and President,
Juvenile Justice Initiative (Illinois)
VIDEO RIGHT: Elizabeth (Betsy) Clarke of the Juvenile Justice Initiative discusses reform efforts in Illinois and the process of informing legislative action.
Converting research and good intentions into law takes more than making a few phone calls. It requires dogged determination, a clear-eyed focus on long-term results, and the artful skills of a coalition builder. Betsy Clarke brings all of that and more to her efforts advocating on behalf of youth in Illinois through the organization she founded, the Juvenile Justice Initiative (JJI).
“Betsy has shown vision, creativity, and committed leadership in advancing the goals of Models for Change,” comments Diane Geraghty, director, Models for Change Illinois. “Betsy has focused on using the legislative process to bring about systems reform in juvenile justice. She developed a novel approach for achieving policy reform, and then built the infrastructure needed to put it into action.”
Clarke has helped Models for Change Illinois leverage MacArthur research to educate Illinois lawmakers about the latest findings around adolescent development and public attitudes about youth, race, and crime. Simultaneously, she has actively built a statewide coalition and enhanced public awareness of juvenile justice issues.
As a result, Illinois has posted some impressive legislative victories tied to Models for Change efforts. In 2005, JJI spearheaded legislation representing the ffirst rollback of automatic transfer laws in the nation. In the ffirst two years after its enactment, automatic transfers to adult court declined by almost two-thirds. Over two years, nearly 500 youth of color were afforded individualized assessment and treatment in juvenile court rather than being tried as adults.
JJI leadership helped persuade the Illinois General Assembly to fund a pilot program called Redeploy Illinois, aimed at increasing the use of community-based alternatives to secure confinement. Since 2005, four pilot sites have sent 226 fewer youth to state corrections, representing $11 million in potential savings.
Of no less significance was Clarke and JJI’s role in the creation of a new Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice and the passage in August of 2008 of legislation requiring the early appointment of counsel, thus enhancing the quality of legal representation and the likelihood of receiving community-based services.
Most recently, the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction for all misdemeanors to age 18 following extensive educational efforts on the issue by JJI. Not only is this reform in line with solid research on adolescent development, but also increases the likelihood that youth can receive the individualized interventions and community-based rehabilitative services necessary to improve outcomes and preserve community safety.