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Juvenile Justice

  • October 6, 2016 | Practice News
    Illinois Supreme Court adopts new rules on juvenile shackling

    The Illinois Supreme Court has adopted a new rule and amended another to address the use of restraints on a minor in delinquency proceedings arising under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

    The new rule and rule changes take effect November 1, 2016.

    New Supreme Court Rule 943 (Use of Restraints on a Minor in Delinquency Proceedings Arising Under the Juvenile Court Act) provides that instruments of restraint shall not be used on a minor during a court proceeding unless the court finds, after a hearing, that such restraints are necessary to prevent physical harm to the minor or another, the minor has a history of disruptive behavior that presents a risk of harm, or there is a well-founded belief that the minor presents a substantial flight risk. Amendments were also adopted to Rule 941 to state that the rules in Article IX apply to all juvenile delinquency proceedings filed under Article V of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

  • September 12, 2014 | Events
    Juvenile Justice Initiative to honor Preckwinkle, Colman

    The Juvenile Justice Initiative will honor Cook Couny Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Jenner & Block Partner Jeffrey D. Colman for their work ensuring individualized and proportionate justice for every child in conflict with the law.

    The event will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark, 45th floor, Chicago. RSVP is required and no tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets are $100 each ($50 for students and nonprofit). Sponsorships and ad space are available. Please visit www.jjustice.org for more information and to buy tickets.

  • August 21, 2013 | People | Practice News
    Betsy Clarke honored with national youth advocate award

    Recognized for Her Tireless Work on Behalf of Kids in Trouble with the Law

    Elizabeth “Betsy” Clarke, president of the Illinois-based Juvenile Justice Initiative, was recognized recently for her tenacious work on behalf of young people in trouble with the law. Clarke is the second recipient of the Beth Arnovits Gutsy Advocate for Youth Award, which is given annually by the National Juvenile Justice Network to individuals who advocate for youth justice and juvenile justice reform and who embody "the tenacity, vision, fearlessness and wisdom of Beth Arnovits."

    “Betsy Clarke was a natural choice for the Gutsy Youth Advocate award,” said Sarah Bryer, director of the National Juvenile Justice Network. “You only have to look at her longstanding commitment to the field of juvenile justice reform, her support of and engagement in national level reform work, and her tremendous success as an advocate for her vision for change on both the local and national levels… She’s done amazing things.”

  • March 21, 2013 | ISBA News | Practice News
    Supreme Court adopts ISBA proposal on expedited appeals in delinquent minor cases

    The Illinois Supreme Court recently adopted an ISBA proposal to establish expedited appeals in delinquent minor cases (New Rule 660A.pdf). ISBA Past President Mark D. Hassakis presented the ISBA proposal at a Supreme Court hearing in December 2012. The proposal had its genesis with the Illinois Models for Change Initiative at Loyola University and was supported by the Juvenile Justice Initiative and the National Juvenile Defender Center.

    The proposal requires appeals in delinquent minor proceedings under the Juvenile Court Act to be decided within 150 days after filing a notice of appeal. The purposes of the expedited appeal procedure are to: achieve prompt appellate review; address the merits of convictions before an appeal becomes moot (thereby saddling the offender with a conviction that might have been reversed or remanded on appeal); and, establish a greater body of appellate case law in juvenile matters. 

     

  • August 23, 2011 | ISBA News
    Juvenile Incarceration program to air on Illinois Law on Aug. 30

    “Juvenile Incarceration: Alternatives/Placements/Visitation/Release,” a half-hour program produced by Illinois Law, will air on Chicago Access Network Television, Channel 21 in Chicago, on Tuesday, August 30 at 10 p.m. Illinois Law is a cable production of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA).

    Appearing on the show are (from left) Raymond G. Stubner, deputy chief of Juvenile Probation Services for the Department of Probation & Court Services in DuPage County; program moderator Hon. Cheryl Cesario, a judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County; and Hon. Thomas J. Riggs, a judge in the 18th Judicial Circuit in DuPage County.

  • March 31, 2011 | ISBA News
    ISBA offering free booklet to help citizens reform local juvenile justice system
    The Illinois State Bar Association is offering a free booklet on its website to help citizens learn how to reduce juvenile delinquency in their community and provide alternatives to youth imprisonment. Called “Juvenile Justice in Illinois,” the booklet includes a description of the need, a summary of programs already in place, and action steps to implement a local program. Compiled by ISBA President Mark D. Hassakis, of Mt. Vernon, the booklet is an outgrowth of the focus during his presidency to draw attention to the issue of juvenile justice and help foster change. “What would the juvenile justice system look like if we knew our sons, daughters and grandchildren would go through it?” he has asked. “We must all get involved if changes are to be made.” Hassakis notes that the state spends significant funds to incarcerate youth but does little to rehabilitate them. “The solution is to develop a customized approach for each youth who has either entered the juvenile justice system or is incarcerated in it,” he states. One program that is making a difference, he continues, is Redeploy Illinois, which in its first three years, diverted 382 youth from state juvenile prisons. Some 40 counties have also started Juvenile Justice Councils.  A fact sheet in the booklet lists action steps to develop a council that can lead to improved juvenile delinquency prevention measures. The ISBA, with offices in Springfield and Chicago, provides education and services to its lawyer-members and information to the public.  For further information, visit www.isba.org.
  • February 24, 2011 | ISBA News
    ISBA President Hassakis meets with Cook County Juvenile Courts Chief Judge Michael Toomin
    [caption id="attachment_17935" align="alignright" width="300" caption="ISBA President Mark Hassakis and Presiding Judge of the Cook County Juvenile Courts Michael Toomin discuss juvenile justice issues."][/caption] Illinois State Bar Association President Mark Hassakis met to discuss juvenile justice issues with the presiding judge of the Cook County Juvenile Justice Division, Judge Michael Toomin. President Hassakis had earlier toured the facility with Illinois Juvenile Justice Initiative President Betsy Clarke and Dr. Beverly Butler, Special Assistant to Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans. The group met with Judge Toomin and Chief Court Officer Diane Walsh after the tour to discuss juvenile justice issues, specifically re-entry programs and alternatives to detention. Judge Toomin recently succeeded Curtis Heaston, who led the juvenile courts for more than a decade earlier this year.
  • February 7, 2011 | ISBA News
    President Hassakis meets with IDJJ executive team
    [caption id="attachment_17541" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Illinois State Bar Association President Mark D. Hassakis met with leaders from the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) on Friday, Feb. 4, to find ways that ISBA can help the Department with its mission of preserving public safety by reducing recidivism. On hand for the meeting were (left to right): Justin Slaughter, IDJJ Director of Programs, Beth Compton, IDJJ Chief Counsel, Arthur Bishop, IDJJ Director, ISBA President Hassakis and Ashley Cross, IDJJ Chief of Staff."][/caption] Illinois State Bar Association President Mark D. Hassakis continued his push to improve the state’s juvenile justice programs by meeting with leaders of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice on Friday, Feb. 4, at the Thompson Center in Chicago. The meeting covered a wide-range of issues the Department faces and focused on ways ISBA can help IDJJ move forward by “laying a brick everyday,” the guiding philosophy of new IDJJ Director Arthur Bishop. Three areas were identified where IDJJ is making improvements. The first is its continued withdrawal from the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), where it resided until four years ago. However, IDJJ still operates under IDOC’s administrative policies. The second is passing legislation beneficial to its core mission. This can be seen in the push to update legislation on juvenile expungements.
  • December 20, 2010 | ISBA News
    ISBA President Hassakis launches series of visits to state juvenile detention facilities
    [caption id="attachment_16861" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Mark D. Hassakis"][/caption] ISBA President Mark D. Hassakis made the first of several planned visits to Illinois juvenile detention centers last Friday, spending four hours touring the facility and talking to staff at IYC/Chicago on North Western Avenue. The visits are part of his commitment as president to focus attention on how to improve our juvenile justice system. What he found at IYC was a relatively well-maintained center housing 79 juveniles. Average age? Fifteen. A small but dedicated staff eagerly searching for ways to educate and rehabilitate the youth, taking a positive approach to changing behaviors by implementing programs to foster change. Lack of funding means that key posts go unfilled, and each staff member frequently does the job of 3-4 workers. Incarcerated youth have access to an array of programs and activities, including community baseball, a storytelling program with a Storycatchers Theater component and an animal humane education program that includes animal training.
  • December 7, 2010 | Practice News
    Redeploy Illinois decreases juveniles in justice system by 51%
    Purpose of Redeploy Illinois: The purpose of Redeploy Illinois [(P.A. 93-0641) December 2003] is to create financial incentives to keep youth in the local community rather than commit them to the Department of Juvenile Justice.  According to the current statute, each site is required to reduce juvenile commitments of non-violent offenders to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) by 25% in one year.  The program excludes murder and Class X forcible felonies. On April 7, 2009, Governor Quinn signed in to law Senate Bill 1013 (P.A. 95-1050) which will enable counties with fewer than an average of 10 commitments over the previous 3 years to access a pool of funding to enter in to an agreement to provide services to juveniles to avoid commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Redeploy Illinois Sites: The original four Redeploy sites include: Second Judicial District (includes 12 counties in Southern Illinois:  Crawford, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White), Macon County, Peoria County, and St.