The Compiler

              Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority Summer 2007
Juvenile reform, specialized services help fuel fight against probationer recidivism
By Jessica Ashley
PUBLICATIONS 3
RESEARCH4
GRANTS6
TECHNOLOGY8
Probation at center of state juvenile
justice reform
After years of support for harsher punishments for juvenile offend- ers that include incarceration and increased transfers of juveniles to adult criminal court, juvenile correctional systems have found themselves overbur­dened and overcrowded. In most Illinois counties, juveniles are often securely detained before trial and committed after trial, in part a result of fiscal incentives encouraging local communities to rely on incarceration for juveniles.
When county justice systems commit youth to corrections facilities, associ­ated costs are paid by the state. While this produces a short-term savings to that county, studies have shown that community-based programs are more cost-effective over time. According to the Justice Policy Institute, costs of locked confinement in a state institu­tion in the United States can run in excess of $60,000 annually. The average annual cost to incarcerate a juvenile offender in an Illinois correctional in­stitution was $70,827 in state fiscal year 2005. In comparison, community super­vision or services typically cost $10,000 or less to provide.
Figure 1
Juvenile justice reform initiatives in Illinois
(Continued on page 2)
Jo Daviess
StephensonWinnebagoBooneMcHenryLakeCarrollOgleDeKalbKaneCookWhitesideLeeDuPageHenryBureauLaSalleKendallWillGrundyPutnamRock IslandStarkKnoxMercerLivingstonMarshallWoodfordPeoriaFultonWarrenHendersonHancockMcDonoughTazewellMcLeanDe WittLoganMasonSchuylerAdamsBrownCassMenardMaconSangamonMorganPikeScottCalhounMacoupinMadisonJerseySt. ClairMonroeMontgomeryFayetteBondClintonMarionJeffersonWashingtonRandolphPerryFranklinWilliamsonJacksonUnionJohnsonMassacPulaskilexanderHamiltonWhiteGallatinSalinePopeHardinClarkCumberlandCrawfordJasperEffinghamClayRichlandLawrenceWabashEdwardsWayneIroquosFordVermilionChampaignPiattDouglasColesMoultrieChristianShelbyKankakeeEdgarGreene􀀂􀈠 􀀂􀈀􀀃􀌠 􀀂􀈠 􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀄􀐀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀􀀄􀐀􀀂􀉊Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Redeploy Illinois Model for ChangeLEGEND􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀂􀈀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀􀀃􀌀