[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16622]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    ILLINOIS JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, as a proponent of smart and fair crime 
policies, as well as improving the effectiveness of the juvenile 
justice system, I would like to commend my home State of Illinois for 
its recent reforms in this area. I have long supported and sponsored 
legislation in Congress to ensure that children are treated 
appropriately, whether they are sexually exploited victims who do not 
belong in the criminal justice system, or whether they commit crimes 
and deserve targeted assistance or punishment. As one of several States 
in the Nation moving away from a punishment-based juvenile justice 
system and toward one of rehabilitation and prevention, Illinois has 
been nationally recognized for its progress. Two recent laws in 
particular have advanced our treatment of youth in the criminal justice 
system in Illinois.
  First, as of January 1, 2010, 17-year-old misdemeanants in Illinois 
are no longer automatically filtered into the adult justice system. 
Under Public Act 95-1031, 17-year-olds charged with misdemeanors will 
now have access to the juvenile courts rather than the adult system. 
This change will allow more youth to participate in much-needed 
rehabilitation services such as mental health, drug treatment, and 
community-based services.
  In addition, the state legislature took another step forward by 
enacting Public Act 96-1199 last year. This law requires the Illinois 
Juvenile Justice Commission to study the impact of expanding the 
juvenile court's jurisdiction to 17-year-olds charged with felonies. It 
also requires the Commission to develop timelines, propose a funding 
structure, and submit a final report to the Illinois General Assembly 
by December 31, 2011.
  These new State laws will help our state use its resources more 
effectively and give more young people the opportunity to live 
productive lives. In their efforts to further these goals, I would also 
like to commend two of our juvenile justice advocates in Illinois. 
Betsy Clarke is the founder and president of the Illinois Juvenile 
Justice Initiative and has spent more than 20 years advocating for the 
youth of our state. Along with leading efforts to reduce the 
prosecution of youth in adult criminal courts, she has supported 
Redeploy Illinois, a program that emphasizes community-based 
alternatives over secure confinement. Redeploy Illinois has saved 
Illinois taxpayers millions in corrections costs. Ms. Clarke also 
played a role in the formation of the new Illinois Department of 
Juvenile Justice and legislation requiring early counsel so youth can 
obtain quality legal representation from the beginning of their 
dealings with the criminal justice system.
  Grace Warren is the co-director and family organizer for the National 
Parent Caucus, a group of parents and family members dedicated to 
keeping youth under the age of 18 out of the adult criminal system. She 
became involved in this public awareness campaign in 2004 when her 17-
year-old son was convicted and sentenced as an adult. Previously, she 
worked with the Tamms Year Ten Campaign and the Illinois Coalition for 
Fair Sentencing of Children at Northwestern University. She currently 
volunteers with the John Howard Association of Illinois, monitoring 
juvenile and adult facilities, and she recently provided testimony to 
the Federal Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice on the importance 
of family engagement by juvenile and criminal justice systems.
  In this time of shrinking state budgets, it is important to recognize 
efforts to improve outcomes for our youth and communities which also 
utilize our state resources more effectively. With the recent juvenile 
justice reforms in Illinois and the hard work of two dedicated leaders 
in this field, Illinois is well on track to succeeding in these goals. 
I commend this progress, and I will continue to wholeheartedly support 
these efforts through my work in the U.S. Senate.

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