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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, Illinois has a proud legacy as the home of the 
3world's first juvenile court; and
  
 
4    WHEREAS, Illinois has another proud legacy from its first 
5peoples -the practice of
restorative justice; in the First 
6Nation justice systems, healing and reintegration of

7individuals is the primary goal, rather than reliance on 
8prisons and punishment; and
  
 
9    WHEREAS, The principle of restorative justice was included 
10within the Purpose and
Policy Section of Article 5 of the 
11Illinois Juvenile Court Act in 1999; and
  
 
12    WHEREAS, To date, there have been multiple pilots 
13throughout the State of restorative
justice practices in the 
14juvenile justice system, both as diversion from court and as

15sentencing alternatives, however there is no uniform statewide 
16practice of restorative
justice in the juvenile justice system; 
17and
  
 
18    WHEREAS, As prison costs prove increasingly burdensome for 
19taxpayers, and as
studies reveal high repeat offending rates by 
20prisoners who have little education or
vocational skills upon 
21release, states are increasingly examining restorative justice

 
 
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1practices as effective diversion and sentencing alternatives; 
2Northern Ireland, Finland, New Zealand, and other 
3jurisdictions have successfully revamped their juvenile

4justice systems through the system-wide implementation of 
5restorative justice practices
and these nations serve as models 
6of system reform through restorative justice
practices; and
  
 
7    WHEREAS, Restorative justice practices in other nations 
8have been implemented along
with full due process and human 
9rights protections for children in conflict with the law,

10including respect for confidentiality and use of dispositions 
11that represent the least
restrictive alternative; therefore, 
12be it
  
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
14NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
15urge the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, working in 
16partnership with the Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice 
17Project and the Illinois Juvenile Justice Initiative, 
18community groups, and schools, review the current practice of 
19restorative justice in juvenile justice systems in the State of 
20Illinois and review restorative justice practices in juvenile 
21justice systems in other states and cultures and nations, and 
22report back to the Illinois General Assembly with 
23recommendations to expand the practice of restorative justice 
24in the juvenile justice system in Illinois with the goal of 
 
 
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1restoring public safety through restoration of the child in 
2conflict with the law, within a system that incorporates the 
3full range of due process and human rights protections, 
4maximizing community based responses and utilizing 
5incarceration only as a last resort for as short a time as 
6possible; and be it further
  
 
7    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
8delivered to the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission.