League of Women Voters of Illinois^®

Our Position

Full Statement of Where We Stand on Children's Services

Proposed Merger:  Department of Juvenile Justice and Department of Children and Family Services

• Subject Matter Hearing.  House Appropriations — Public Safety Committee. 
  League testimony in support of an independent DJJ. 

Outlook — Update:

• Work to restore parole and other services to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
• Improve mental health services for juvenile justice youth. At the end of July, 2010, Models for Change, funded by the MacArthur Foundation, issued a report on the behavioral health program for youth committed to the DJJ.
• Consider age a factor in sentencing youth in criminal court. The US Supreme Court addressed the issue in Graham v. Florida, No. 08-7412.

League Activity: Letters to the Governor

• SB 1013 Redeploy Illinois. Authorizes payments to additional counties that send fewer juveniles to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Signed into law as PA 95-1050
• SB 2275 Juvenile court jurisdiction 17-year-olds with misdemeanor offenses will be tried in juvenile, rather than criminal, court. Signed into law as PA 95-1031
• SB 2821 Interstate Compact for Juveniles. Regulates the movement of juvenile offenders received from, or sent to, other states. Signed into law as
PA 95-0937
• SB 121 Sex Offender Registration Act. Adapted the law to juveniles. Signed into law as PA 95-0658
• HB 291 Juvenile Court DCFS Guardian. Extended DCFS protection to certain delinquent youth. Signed into law as PA 95-0642

Other League Activity

• Participate in activities of the Governor's Collaboration on Reentry - Youth.
• Co-sponsored, with the LWV of Cook County, a visit to IYC-Chicago.
• SB 1725.  Juvenile parole.  Testimony to Senate and House committees.
  Certified as PA 96-0853.    
• S. 678.  Reauthorizes the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. Letter to Senator Durbin. Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in December.

Additional Resource:

•  Children's Services Issue Update — 2011 Issues Briefing (February 5, 2011)
•  Children's Services Issue Update — 2010 Issues Briefing (February 6, 2010)
•  Special Report on the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (September 2008)