SR0053 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0053 LRB095 08468 KXB 28647 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Children as young as nine years old fall prey to gangs, drug use, and violent crime every day and ruin their chances of being successful in the future; and

WHEREAS, 30% of children arrested for violent crimes are repeat offenders who pose a constant drain of resources on the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, A majority of juvenile crime arrests occur on the south and west sides of the City of Chicago, areas which are primarily occupied by minorities living below poverty level; and

WHEREAS, Despite community efforts and an increased police presence there have been no statistical changes in the rate of juvenile crime arrests in the City of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, The most recent statistics, which are over ten years old, find that the average cost of holding a teenager in a juvenile facility was $33,000 a year; and

WHEREAS, All current juvenile justice programs focus on post-incarceration efforts to rehabilitate and early-childhood efforts to keep children away from drugs and gangs; and

WHEREAS, No juvenile justice programs currently available in the State of Illinois teach children the practical aspects of criminal law; and

WHEREAS, Statistics show that early prevention programs are most effective to prevent juveniles from committing violent crimes in the future; and

WHEREAS, Chicago TAP, in collaboration with the Chicago Bar Association, identified juvenile crime prevention as a top priority to reduce juvenile crime and prevent overall crime; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we support programs to prevent violent crime among Illinois juveniles and teach juveniles about criminal law and the criminal court system in order to educate them about the ramifications of making wrong choices, and we urge Governor Rod Blagojevich to support such programs; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to Governor Rod Blagojevich.