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* Molly Parker at Capitol News Illinois…
A review of hundreds of pages of state audits, law enforcement records, a federal lawsuit, and reports by oversight and advocacy bodies point to troubling conditions inside many of the state’s 16 juvenile detention centers, which operate much like adult jails, detaining court-involved youth with open cases when a judge determines they are at risk of fleeing or reoffending. The facilities combined can house upwards of 1,200 youth as young as age 10, though they are rarely at capacity.
The records show that youth have been Tased, pepper sprayed and roughed up by staff and law enforcement officers; forced into isolation for days at a time; denied access to their psychotropic medications and mental health treatment; and received little or no schooling, despite state and federal laws mandating that the youth receive educational services while incarcerated. Nearly two-thirds of those who are detained are Black teens.
Poor conditions in juvenile lockups across the country have recently made headlines, bringing renewed calls for reform. What makes Illinois different from many of its state peers is that no independent agency licenses or certifies the youth detention centers. Even in some states that have been heavily scrutinized for problematic conditions inside their youth facilities, such as Louisiana, Tennessee, Michigan and Pennsylvania, a licensing process is in place that allows for sanctions up to closure.
Under state law, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice sets standards for county detention facilities that hold youth in custody and conducts audits of them. While the department has repeatedly cited several centers for failing to meet its standards, under state law, IDJJ cannot mandate corrective action plans, issue fines or shut down detention centers found in repeated violation of the rules. Instead, the IDJJ reports are sent back to the county detention facilities’ staff and to the chief judges of each judicial circuit, under whose authority they operate. Neither the staff nor the judges are obligated to respond.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 10:50 am
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License country juvie prisons that will really get the sheriffs steamed. Another hat tip for Parker and Capitol News IL. hope Chicago papers and other media pick this up.
Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 11:06 am
Used to work IDJJ. The security staff are a wits end most of the time. Administration does not have security’s back. They don’t discipline the inmates when they violate the rules emboldening them to not follow the rules. So this article is a little misleading. One last thing these juvenile inmates are not incarcerated for their first offense or minor infraction. They have been a repeat offender or committed a serious felony. Otherwise they would still be at home.
Comment by Concerned Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 11:16 am
=== They don’t discipline the inmates when they violate the rules ===
This is a truism, right? My son used to work at the Peoria County system, and talked about issues there (including being assaulted).
But this article is about the maltreatment of clients, not the maltreatment of inmates. Those who are detained prior to adjudication deserve a higher level of service than to be assigned the status of inmates.
Even if guilty, restorative justice for teens (and younger) is a path we need to reconsider. Surely we can do better and doing so is more likely to create better citizens in the futures of these detainees.
Comment by H-W Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 11:40 am
Seems to me like the oversighters need some oversight, just sayin. The legislature needs to get on top of this issue immediately, and revamp this good-old-boy inside scam here. Anyone hitting up JB for a response?
Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 12:32 pm
Schooling is tough for youth facilities.
You have to hire a certified teacher.
If you are a certified teacher why are you going to go work in a youth prison, year-round and be AFSCME when you can work at an actual school district, have summers off and be an IEA or IFT member at a much better salary and benefits?
Comment by Frida's boss Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 12:41 pm
Good point, Frieda’s boss. Perhaps this is why we need to create the sort of economic and social conditions for such workers that compel teachers to pursue such jobs. In the military, it used to be called “hazardous duty pay,” and was a supplement to routine wages.
Comment by H-W Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 12:55 pm
So what are they in jail for? Skipping school or murder? That should have been included in the article so we can get a full picture as to whom is in jail.
Comment by Shawnee Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 1:32 pm
===That should have been included in the article===
Why?
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 1:37 pm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment
Comment by Dotnonymous x Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 1:48 pm
The AOC is under equipped to handle this task. Massively under equipped.
Comment by Alice Childress Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 1:54 pm
=== They have been a repeat offender or committed a serious felony. Otherwise they would still be at home. ===
And they’re getting out and coming back to their communities. Torturing them is no way to rehabilitate them. And justifying that treatment is purely disgusting.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 4:35 pm
A strong desire to punish is revealing…vengefully/vindictively.
Comment by Dotnonymous x Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 5:03 pm
There are a lot of misconceptions in the comments section today.
It should go without saying that no child or teen should be tortured or denied care or education while they are in detention facilities.
In addition, let’s clear some things up about who these children and teens are.
A significant majority of youth in county detention facilities are awaiting trial. They have been arrested but have not been adjudicated delinquent – or convicted, in lay terms – and so are entitled to the presumption of innocence just as any other person who has been arrested and is awaiting trial. These can be children as young as 10 years old. Most are there for no more than 72 hours, although they can experience a lot of harm and trauma during that time.
Another group of youth who are in county detention facilities are youth who have been adjudicated delinquent and have been sentenced to a maximum of 30 days in detention.
A third group are youth who have violated the terms of their probation, often for something as minor as a missed meeting.
A final group are youth who are in the care of DCFS and are known as “Release Upon Request” youth, who are stuck in detention because DCFS does not have a placement option for them yet.
The only people who are in Illinois’ youth prisons, which are known as youth centers run by the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, are youth who have already been through the adjudication process and have felony convictions.
Our juvenile justice system is founded on the principle that young people are in the process of developing and maturing physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially, and with the intention of helping them escape a cycle of delinquency and grow toward a positive future. Punishment is not the intended goal of any juvenile system. What we read in this article today is extremely disturbing and directly at odds with our state’s desire to rehabilitate young people who come into contact with the law. Traumatizing people has no positive impact on them.
Comment by Andrea Durbin Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 5:35 pm
@Andrea Durbin… That’s alot of salve…gonna need more.
Comment by Dotnonymous x Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 6:16 pm
@ Andrea Durbin
Thank you for your insights and wisdom.
Comment by H-W Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 6:16 pm
I didn’t know what to write.
I waited. “Why?”
Andrea Durbin.
You are aces. Always. Thank you.
OW
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 8, 23 @ 6:19 pm