Models for Change Newsroom

Department of Justice, MacArthur Foundation Provide $2 Million to Support Juvenile Justice Reform

01/27/2012 08:57 AM

Jan 26, 2012 | Department of Justice, MacArthur Foundation | NEWSROOM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Office of Justice Programs (OJP) January 26, 2012 (202) 307-0703 www.ojp.gov Contact: Starr Stepp DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, MACARTHUR FOUNDATION PROVIDE $2 MILLION TO SUPPORT JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM WASHINGTON– In…

Youth Advocacy Department Director Joshua Dohan Named Champion for Change in Juvenile Justice Reform

01/06/2012 12:21 PM

Dec 5, 2011 | Rey Cheatham Banks | NEWSROOM

ROXBURY, MA – Joshua Dohan, Director of the Youth Advocacy Department of the Committee for Public Counsel Services was honored at a national conference of juvenile justice leaders in Washington, DC for his lifetime of work on behalf of indigent court involved youth in Massachusetts Colleagues involved in the Models for Change Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network nominated Dohan for the award. Models for Change is the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s 16-state…

Change Makers 2012: James Bell, W. Haywood Burns Institute

01/04/2012 09:46 AM

Jan 1, 2012 | Jessica Lum | San Francisco Chronicle | NEWSROOM

Founder and executive director of the W. Haywood Burns Institute, James Bell is dedicated to examining and addressing the ethnic disparity in institutions such as the juvenile justice system. Bell was born in a segregated South Carolina hospital where black doctors weren't allowed to deliver babies. Growing up, Bell said he played a part in the civil rights movement, helping desegregate lunch counters and swimming pools around his community. He eventually moved to San Francisco to attend law…

Editorial: Non-Violent Juveniles Should not be Locked Up

01/03/2012 09:33 AM

Jan 3, 2012 | Chicago Sun-Times | NEWSROOM

Illinois has long been a pioneer in juvenile justice, creating the nation’s first juvenile court as long ago as 1899. But in recent years, Illinois hasn’t looked so much like a pioneer anymore. The wooden wheels have been coming off the covered wagon. A recent report indicates that more than half the youths incarcerated by the Illinois Department of Justice wind up back behind bars. If the original pioneers failed at that rate, they never would have made it west of the…

New Illinois Law Will Require Judges To Consider Sentencing Juvenile Offenders To Treatment In Their Communities

12/21/2011 08:49 AM

Dec 20, 2011 | Juvenile Justice Initiative | NEWSROOM

CHICAGO – Beginning January 1, Illinois judges considering committing juvenile offenders to incarceration in a state juvenile prison must first ensure that commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) is necessary and that secure confinement is the least restrictive alternative available. Before sentencing, juvenile court judges must examine evidence that efforts were made to locate less restrictive placements – and review why those efforts were unsuccessful. This…

Robert Listenbee - People on the Move

12/15/2011 02:51 PM

Dec 15, 2011 | Philadelphia Business Journal | NEWSROOM

Robert Listenbee Date added: December 15, 2011 Submission Type: Professional Recognition Current employer: Defender Association of Philadelphia Current title/position: Chief of the Juvenile Unit Reason for being recognized: Robert Listenbee, Chief of the Juvenile Unit at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, was recently honored by the MacArthur Foundation-supported Models for Change initiative as a Champion for Change in juvenile justice reform.

'ILLINOIS IS FAILING' Shocking Problems Found In Youth Prison System

12/15/2011 11:37 AM

Dec 14, 2011 | Lizzie Schiffman | Huffington Post Chicago | NEWSROOM

"One Commissioner observed a hearing in which there was 'no time for introduction or discussion. [The Prisoner Review Board hearing officer] was reading the wrong form and initially was going to deny parole. Then someone walked by and noticed the sheet did not match the kid sitting there. [The] youth was paroled.'" -- Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission's Youth Reentry Improvement Report CHICAGO -- The Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission released a report Tuesday recommending changes to the…

Illinois Probe Finds Rushed, Unmeasured Process for Juvenile Release, Reentry and Parole

12/15/2011 11:34 AM

Dec 13, 2011 | John Kelly | Youth Today | NEWSROOM

Illinois has seen significant changes to the front-end of its juvenile justice system, but its system of releasing and assisting incarcerated juveniles is a procedural mess, according to a report today from the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission.

Editorial: Time for an Intelligent Approach to Juvenile Justice

12/15/2011 11:32 AM

Dec 14, 2011 | The Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL) | NEWSROOM

Imagine this line from a state report on young offenders and let it sink in for a moment:“The Illinois auditor general estimates that incarceration in (an Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice) ‘Youth Center’ cost $86,861 per year, per youth.” Did you catch that figure? $86,861. Per youth.

Preckwinkle's New Approach to Juvenile Detention Center: Clear It Out

12/09/2011 09:45 AM

Dec 9, 2011 | Erika Slife and Duaa Eldeib | Chicago Tribune | NEWSROOM

For decades, Cook County's Juvenile Temporary Detention Center has been blasted as a depot for children who were locked up in violent, unsanitary, overcrowded conditions without much consideration given to their mental or physical well-being. Even after a landmark lawsuit, child advocates say the hulking off-white building on the Near West Side serves more as a jail than a temporary residence for youths waiting to see a judge. Now County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is pitching a new…

Robert Listenbee Honored as Champion for Change in Juvenile Justice Reform

12/05/2011 07:24 PM

Dec 6, 2011 | NEWSROOM

Dedication to Improving Juvenile Defense to be Recognized at National Meeting of MacArthur-Supported Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative Philadelphia – Robert Listenbee, Chief of the Juvenile Unit at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, is being honored by the MacArthur Foundation-supported Models for Change initiative as a Champion for Change in juvenile justice reform. Listenbee, a Philadelphia resident, will receive the award today at the annual Models for Change national…

Making Major Strides in Juvenile Justice Reform

12/05/2011 02:06 PM

Dec 5, 2011 | Models for Change | NEWSROOM

For Immediate Release December 5, 2011 Contact: Zerline Hughes, zhughes@justicepolicy.org / 202-558-7974 ext. 308 Jason Fenster, jfenster@justicepolicy.org / 202-558-7974 ext 306 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Hundreds of experts and leaders in the field of juvenile justice are in Washington, D.C. for the Sixth Annual Models for Change National Working Conference at the Mayflower Hotel December 5 and 6, 2011. The conference brings together judges, prosecutors, defenders, policy makers and…

Toni Irving, Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Honored as Champion for Change in Juvenile Justice Reform

12/04/2011 09:07 PM

Dec 5, 2011 | Illinois Models for Change | NEWSROOM

Irving’s “Dogged Determination” Recognized at National Meeting of MacArthur-Supported Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative CHICAGO – Toni Irving, deputy chief of staff to Governor Pat Quinn, is being honored by the MacArthur Foundation-supported Models for Change initiative as a Champion for Change in juvenile justice reform. Irving, a Chicago resident, will receive the award Tuesday at the 6th annual Models for Change national conference in Washington, D.C., where…

Legislation is overdue to protect children's rights

11/18/2011 01:59 PM

Nov 18, 2011 | Marsha Levick | Patriot News | NEWSROOM

Over the past 36 years, Juvenile Law Center has witnessed many horrific incidents involving children. Each time, the same questions arise – how could this happen and what can we do to make sure it doesn’t happen again? What legislative or policy changes do we need to enact? The tragedy unfolding at Penn State, where a person in a position of power took advantage of at-risk children while others stood silently by, is eerily familiar. This is the second time in the past year that…

Interesting journey for juvenile justice legislation

11/18/2011 01:54 PM

Oct 30, 2011 | Robert Swift | Republican Herald | NEWSROOM

HARRISBURG - The two former judges at the heart of the Luzerne County courthouse scandal involving abuses in the sentencing of juvenile offenders are now in federal prison, but the business of enacting legal remedies to address the root causes of the scandal and prevent it from recurring goes on. The Senate and House have both approved separate bills to provide new safeguards for juveniles in the criminal justice system. Some of these bills would implement recommendations made in 2010 by the…

Report: State Should Rethink Youth Prisons

11/18/2011 10:34 AM

Nov 17, 2011 | Kurt Erickson | Bloomington Pantagraph (IL) | NEWSROOM

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…

Seeking best in kids, officer named best in state

11/02/2011 09:40 AM

Oct 15, 2011 | Holly Hermany | Reading Eagle | NEWSROOM

Berks County Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Robert N. Williams is humble about winning the 2011 Probation Officer of the Year Award. It's embarrassing," Williams said in his office on the 10th floor of the county services center. "It's not about me. It's about the people in my department. It's never been about one person. It's a team effort." The 53-year-old chief gives credit for the award from the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges Commission to his staff of 67 for their devotion to…

Editorial: Teen Alternatives to Jail Good for All

10/28/2011 08:48 AM

Oct 28, 2011 | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL) | NEWSROOM

It's not every day that a state legislature working to trim the budget could be making life much better for those on whom we traditionally have spent a lot of money. But that seems to be the case with an Illinois law that will go into effect Jan. 1 requiring the courts to consider whether treatment within a youthful offender's community is a better option than sending him or her to a youth prison.

Editorial: Illinois Should Close at Least One Juvenile Prison

10/27/2011 09:17 AM

Oct 25, 2011 | The Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL) | NEWSROOM

Unlike their adult counterparts, Illinois’ juvenile prisons — with one exception — are at or below capacity. The state has been successful in diverting young offenders to other programs. So why hasn’t there been a bigger effort to close one or more juvenile prisons? The Juvenile Justice Initiative noted that over 50 juvenile prisons have been closed in 18 states in the past four years. Number closed in Illinois: zero.

Zero-Tolerance School-Discipline Policies are a Problem

10/14/2011 08:29 AM

Sep 25, 2011 | Jerry Large | Seattle Times | NEWSROOM

People have a bad habit of overreacting to one problem and creating another in the process. Zero-tolerance school-discipline policies fall into that category. That's become increasingly clear in recent years, but the policies still linger in many districts. The League of Education Voters (LEV) and Our American Generation (OAG) are making a push to change that in Washington state by gathering information and spreading the word about the consequences of current disciplinary policies. Too…

Editorial: Prison isn’t Best Option for Nonviolent Youths

10/14/2011 07:29 AM

Oct 14, 2011 | Chicago Sun-Times | NEWSROOM

A debate over closing the Illinois Youth Center in Downstate Murphysboro has focused on jobs and money and pitted Gov. Pat Quinn against legislators and organized labor. But here’s something else to keep in mind: Research consistently shows that locking up nonviolent juvenile offenders fails to reform them, costs too much and makes us no safer.

Looking for Savings, (Illinois Gov. Pat) Quinn Has a Good Idea

10/03/2011 08:23 AM

Oct 2, 2011 | James Warren | New York Times | NEWSROOM

Locking up juvenile offenders isn’t working. What is working, both here and nationally, are community-based rehabilitation alternatives to punishment and isolation, notably with nonviolent offenders, where local agencies devoted to child services and treatment rule.

Through Music, Muti Brings Message of Hope to Incarcerated Youth

09/26/2011 10:23 AM

Sep 26, 2011 | John von Rhein, Classical music critic | Chicago Tribune | NEWSROOM

One girl swayed with the rhythm of the music as the unfamiliar sounds of Mozart and Bellini washed over her. Another girl couldn’t wait to voice her verdict on the performance she had just heard. “Cool,” she exclaimed, as the delighted applause of some 65 people banished the cinder-block dreariness of the tiny library at the Illinois Youth Center in Warrenville. This prompted a smiling Riccardo Muti to leap from the piano bench, rush over to the girl and pat her cheek…

Editorial: State’s Lack of Efficiency is Costly

09/19/2011 04:17 PM

Sep 18, 2011 | Decatur Herald & Review | NEWSROOM

It makes sense to close at least one juvenile prison in Illinois, as Gov. Pat Quinn has recommended. That's unusual to hear, since there has been a lot of noise about how closing the seven facilities Quinn has recommended will be devastating and harmful to the state. Union members have stated that Quinn is breaking a promise to not close facilities or lay off state workers. But it's clear that there are too many juvenile prisons and that they have too many beds. That's opposite of the…

Some Advocates Say State Doesn't Need All of its Juvenile Facilities

09/15/2011 04:00 PM

Sep 14, 2011 | Jamey Dunn | Illinois Issues blog | NEWSROOM

Juvenile justice advocates say that if Gov. Pat Quinn plans to close state facilities, he should consider shuttering some of the state’s juvenile prisons, which they say are far below capacity. “The numbers do not justify running eight separate facilities for what is essentially [the population of] a high school,” said Elizabeth Clarke, president of the Juvenile Justice Initiative. According to an analysis of state records by the Juvenile Justice Initiative the average daily…