SB1784 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 09193 RLC 19250 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB1784

Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Robert Peters

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 505/17a-9	from Ch. 23, par. 5017a-9
705 ILCS 405/5-410

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that a minor found to be guilty may be committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice if the minor is at least 14 (rather than 13) years and under 20 years of age, provided that the commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice shall be made only if the minor was found guilty of a felony offense or first degree murder. Provides that when a minor of the age of at least 14 (rather than 13) years is adjudged delinquent for the offense of first degree murder, the court shall declare the minor a ward of the court and order the minor committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice until the minor's 21st birthday, without the possibility of aftercare release, furlough, or nonemergency authorized absence for a period of 5 years from the date the minor was committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that on or after July 1, 2026 and before July 1, 2027, any minor 12 years of age or older arrested pursuant to the Act if there is probable cause to believe that the minor is a delinquent minor and that secure custody is a matter of immediate and urgent necessity, in light of a serious threat to the physical safety of a person or persons in the community or in order to secure the presence of the minor at the next hearing, as evidenced by a demonstrable record of willful failure to appear at a scheduled court hearing within the past 12 months, may be kept or detained in an authorized detention facility. Provides that on or after July 1, 2027, minors age 12 years of age and under 13 years of age and charged with first degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated battery in which a firearm was used in the offense, or aggravated vehicular hijacking, may be kept or detained in an authorized detention facility. Provides that no minor under 13 (rather than under 12) years of age shall be detained in a county jail or a municipal lockup for more than 6 hours. Provides that instead of detention, minors under the age of 13 who are in conflict with the law may be held accountable through a petition under the Minors Requiring Authoritative Intervention Article of the Act, or may be held accountable through a community mediation program.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning courts.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Children and Family Services Act is amended by changing Section 17a-9 as follows:

(20 ILCS 505/17a-9) (from Ch. 23, par. 5017a-9)

Sec. 17a-9. Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission.

(a) There is hereby created the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission which shall consist of 25 persons appointed by the Governor. The Chairperson of the Commission shall be appointed by the Governor. Of the initial appointees, 8 shall serve a one-year term, 8 shall serve a two-year term and 9 shall serve a three-year term. Thereafter, each successor shall serve a three-year term. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments. Once appointed, members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. Members shall serve without compensation, except they shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses in the performance of their duties. The Commission shall carry out the rights, powers and duties established in subparagraph (3) of paragraph (a) of Section 223 of the Federal "Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974", as now or hereafter amended. The Commission shall determine the priorities for expenditure of funds made available to the State by the Federal Government pursuant to that Act. The Commission shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) Development, review and final approval of the State's juvenile justice plan for funds under the Federal "Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974";

(2) Review and approve or disapprove juvenile justice and delinquency prevention grant applications to the Department for federal funds under that Act;

(3) Annual submission of recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly concerning matters relative to its function;

(4) Responsibility for the review of funds allocated to Illinois under the "Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974" to ensure compliance with all relevant federal laws and regulations;

(5) Function as the advisory committee for the State Youth and Community Services Program as authorized under Section 17 of this Act, and in that capacity be authorized and empowered to assist and advise the Secretary of Human Services on matters related to juvenile justice and delinquency prevention programs and services; and

(5.5) Study and make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding the availability of youth services to reduce the use of detention and prevent deeper criminal involvement and regarding the impact and advisability of raising the minimum age of detention to 14, and develop a process to assist in the implementation of the provisions of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly; and

(6) Study the impact of, develop timelines, and propose a funding structure to accommodate the expansion of the jurisdiction of the Illinois Juvenile Court to include youth age 17 under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. The Commission shall submit a report by December 31, 2011 to the General Assembly with recommendations on extending juvenile court jurisdiction to youth age 17 charged with felony offenses.

(b) On the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, the Illinois Juvenile Jurisdiction Task Force created by Public Act 95-1031 is abolished and its duties are transferred to the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission as provided in paragraph (6) of subsection (a) of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 96-1199, eff. 1-1-11.)

Section 10. The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by changing Section 5-410 as follows:

(705 ILCS 405/5-410)

Sec. 5-410. Non-secure custody or detention.

(1) Placement of a minor away from his or her home must be a last resort and the least restrictive alternative available. Any minor arrested or taken into custody pursuant to this Act who requires care away from the minor's home but who does not require physical restriction shall be given temporary care in a foster family home or other shelter facility designated by the court.

(2)(a-1) On or after July 1, 2026 and before July 1, 2027, any minor 12 years of age or older arrested pursuant to this Act where there is probable cause to believe that the minor is a delinquent minor and that secure custody is a matter of immediate and urgent necessity, in light of a serious threat to the physical safety of a person or persons in the community or in order to secure the presence of the minor at the next hearing, as evidenced by a demonstrable record of willful failure to appear at a scheduled court hearing within the past 12 months, may be kept or detained in an authorized detention facility. On or after July 1, 2027, minors age 12 years of age and under 13 years of age and charged with first degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated battery in which a firearm was used in the offense, or aggravated vehicular hijacking, may be kept or detained in an authorized detention facility. On and after July 1, 2026, any minor 13 years of age or older arrested pursuant to this Act where there is probable cause to believe that the minor is a delinquent minor and that secure custody is a matter of immediate and urgent necessity in light of a serious threat to the physical safety of a person or persons in the community, or to secure the presence of the minor at the next hearing as evidenced by a demonstrable record of willful failure to appear at a scheduled court hearing within the past 12 months may be kept or detained in an authorized detention facility. (a) Any minor 10 years of age or older arrested pursuant to this Act where there is probable cause to believe that the minor is a delinquent minor and that (i) secure custody is a matter of immediate and urgent necessity for the protection of the minor or of the person or property of another, (ii) the minor is likely to flee the jurisdiction of the court, or (iii) the minor was taken into custody under a warrant, may be kept or detained in an authorized detention facility. A minor under 13 years of age shall not be admitted, kept, or detained in a detention facility unless a local youth service provider, including a provider through the Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services network, has been contacted and has not been able to accept the minor. No minor under 13 12 years of age shall be detained in a county jail or a municipal lockup for more than 6 hours.

(a-2) Probation and court services shall document and share on a monthly basis with the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission each instance where alternatives to detention failed or were lacking, including the basis for detention, the providers who were contacted, and the reason alternatives were rejected, lacking or denied.

(a-3) Instead of detention, minors under the age of 13 who are in conflict with the law may be held accountable through a petition under Article 3, Minors Requiring Authoritative Intervention, or may be held accountable through a community mediation program as set forth in Section 5-310.

(a-5) For a minor arrested or taken into custody for vehicular hijacking or aggravated vehicular hijacking, a previous finding of delinquency for vehicular hijacking or aggravated vehicular hijacking shall be given greater weight in determining whether secured custody of a minor is a matter of immediate and urgent necessity for the protection of the minor or of the person or property of another.

(b) The written authorization of the probation officer or detention officer (or other public officer designated by the court in a county having 3,000,000 or more inhabitants) constitutes authority for the superintendent of any juvenile detention home to detain and keep a minor for up to 40 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and court-designated holidays. These records shall be available to the same persons and pursuant to the same conditions as are law enforcement records as provided in Section 5-905.

(b-4) The consultation required by paragraph (b-5) shall not be applicable if the probation officer or detention officer (or other public officer designated by the court in a county having 3,000,000 or more inhabitants) utilizes a scorable detention screening instrument, which has been developed with input by the State's Attorney, to determine whether a minor should be detained; however, paragraph (b-5) shall still be applicable where no such screening instrument is used or where the probation officer, detention officer (or other public officer designated by the court in a county having 3,000,000 or more inhabitants) deviates from the screening instrument.

(b-5) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (b-4), if a probation officer or detention officer (or other public officer designated by the court in a county having 3,000,000 or more inhabitants) does not intend to detain a minor for an offense which constitutes one of the following offenses, the probation officer or detention officer (or other public officer designated by the court in a county having 3,000,000 or more inhabitants) shall consult with the State's Attorney's Office prior to the release of the minor: first degree murder, second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated battery with a firearm as described in Section 12-4.2 or subdivision (e)(1), (e)(2), (e)(3), or (e)(4) of Section 12-3.05, aggravated or heinous battery involving permanent disability or disfigurement or great bodily harm, robbery, aggravated robbery, armed robbery, vehicular hijacking, aggravated vehicular hijacking, vehicular invasion, arson, aggravated arson, kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping, home invasion, burglary, or residential burglary.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (a), (d), or (e), no minor shall be detained in a county jail or municipal lockup for more than 12 hours, unless the offense is a crime of violence in which case the minor may be detained up to 24 hours. For the purpose of this paragraph, "crime of violence" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 1-10 of the Substance Use Disorder Act.

(i) The period of detention is deemed to have begun once the minor has been placed in a locked room or cell or handcuffed to a stationary object in a building housing a county jail or municipal lockup. Time spent transporting a minor is not considered to be time in detention or secure custody.

(ii) Any minor so confined shall be under periodic supervision and shall not be permitted to come into or remain in contact with adults in custody in the building.

(iii) Upon placement in secure custody in a jail or lockup, the minor shall be informed of the purpose of the detention, the time it is expected to last and the fact that it cannot exceed the time specified under this Act.

(iv) A log shall be kept which shows the offense which is the basis for the detention, the reasons and circumstances for the decision to detain, and the length of time the minor was in detention.

(v) Violation of the time limit on detention in a county jail or municipal lockup shall not, in and of itself, render inadmissible evidence obtained as a result of the violation of this time limit. Minors under 18 years of age shall be kept separate from confined adults and may not at any time be kept in the same cell, room, or yard with adults confined pursuant to criminal law. Persons 18 years of age and older who have a petition of delinquency filed against them may be confined in an adult detention facility. In making a determination whether to confine a person 18 years of age or older who has a petition of delinquency filed against the person, these factors, among other matters, shall be considered:

(A) the age of the person;

(B) any previous delinquent or criminal history of the person;

(C) any previous abuse or neglect history of the person; and

(D) any mental health or educational history of the person, or both.

(d)(i) If a minor 12 years of age or older is confined in a county jail in a county with a population below 3,000,000 inhabitants, then the minor's confinement shall be implemented in such a manner that there will be no contact by sight, sound, or otherwise between the minor and adult prisoners. Minors 12 years of age or older must be kept separate from confined adults and may not at any time be kept in the same cell, room, or yard with confined adults. This paragraph (d)(i) shall only apply to confinement pending an adjudicatory hearing and shall not exceed 40 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and court-designated holidays. To accept or hold minors during this time period, county jails shall comply with all monitoring standards adopted by the Department of Corrections and training standards approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board.

(ii) To accept or hold minors, 12 years of age or older, after the time period prescribed in paragraph (d)(i) of this subsection (2) of this Section but not exceeding 7 days including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays pending an adjudicatory hearing, county jails shall comply with all temporary detention standards adopted by the Department of Corrections and training standards approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board.

(iii) To accept or hold minors 12 years of age or older, after the time period prescribed in paragraphs (d)(i) and (d)(ii) of this subsection (2) of this Section, county jails shall comply with all county juvenile detention standards adopted by the Department of Juvenile Justice.

(e) When a minor who is at least 15 years of age is prosecuted under the criminal laws of this State, the court may enter an order directing that the juvenile be confined in the county jail. However, any juvenile confined in the county jail under this provision shall be separated from adults who are confined in the county jail in such a manner that there will be no contact by sight, sound, or otherwise between the juvenile and adult prisoners.

(f) For purposes of appearing in a physical lineup, the minor may be taken to a county jail or municipal lockup under the direct and constant supervision of a juvenile police officer. During such time as is necessary to conduct a lineup, and while supervised by a juvenile police officer, the sight and sound separation provisions shall not apply.

(g) For purposes of processing a minor, the minor may be taken to a county jail or municipal lockup under the direct and constant supervision of a law enforcement officer or correctional officer. During such time as is necessary to process the minor, and while supervised by a law enforcement officer or correctional officer, the sight and sound separation provisions shall not apply.

(3) If the probation officer or State's Attorney (or such other public officer designated by the court in a county having 3,000,000 or more inhabitants) determines that the minor may be a delinquent minor as described in subsection (3) of Section 5-105, and should be retained in custody but does not require physical restriction, the minor may be placed in non-secure custody for up to 40 hours pending a detention hearing.

(4) Any minor taken into temporary custody, not requiring secure detention, may, however, be detained in the home of the minor's parent or guardian subject to such conditions as the court may impose.

(5) The changes made to this Section by Public Act 98-61 apply to a minor who has been arrested or taken into custody on or after January 1, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-61).

(Source: P.A. 103-22, eff. 8-8-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.)