Full Text of SR1049 98th General Assembly
SR1049 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | SR1049 | | LRB098 20735 GRL 57703 r |
|
| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, In 1974, Congress enacted the Juvenile Justice and | 3 | | Delinquency Prevention Act to support local and state efforts | 4 | | to prevent delinquency and improve the juvenile justice system | 5 | | and how it handles the cases of children and their families; | 6 | | and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Youth of color are disproportionately represented | 8 | | at all stages of the juvenile justice system and rates of | 9 | | overrepresentation increase as children proceed through the | 10 | | system; and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, The Cook County Juvenile Court in Markham is one | 12 | | of the nation's busiest court houses, busier than Chicago or | 13 | | Los Angeles; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, The demographics of youth of color from various | 15 | | regions reflect the major antecedents of high crime and | 16 | | "troubled communities", high unemployment, struggling | 17 | | educational system, high young population, and high rates of | 18 | | families that have a single head of household; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, It is estimated that rates of post-traumatic | 20 | | stress disorder in juvenile justice-involved youth is | 21 | | comparable to rates of soldiers returning from Iraq, between 3% |
| | | SR1049 | - 2 - | LRB098 20735 GRL 57703 r |
|
| 1 | | and 50%; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Studies show that between 25% and 45% of prisoners | 3 | | in the United States have attention deficit hyperactivity | 4 | | disorder; recidivism rates are also high, with an estimated | 5 | | two-thirds being rearrested within about 3 years; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, The creation of a Regional Juvenile Justice | 7 | | Council would build and expand on the work of the Cook County | 8 | | Juvenile Advisory Council (comprised of probation staff and | 9 | | "wards of the state" who work together) to facilitate | 10 | | community-based collaboration and perspective on oversight, | 11 | | research and evaluation of activities, and programs and | 12 | | policies directed towards and impacting the lives of juveniles; | 13 | | and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, A Regional Juvenile Justice Council would be | 15 | | comprised of representatives from Illinois Criminal Justice | 16 | | Information Authority Councils, Cook County Department of | 17 | | Public Health Domestic Violence Councils, local school | 18 | | districts, universities, and various stakeholders active in | 19 | | the region, including business persons, representatives from | 20 | | law enforcement, juvenile justice-involved family | 21 | | representatives, mental health professionals, social service | 22 | | agencies, representatives of the clergy, local leaders, | 23 | | elected officials, and representatives from Cook County |
| | | SR1049 | - 3 - | LRB098 20735 GRL 57703 r |
|
| 1 | | Juvenile Advisory Councils; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, A Regional Juvenile Justice Council would | 3 | | incorporate the broader community with a focus on prevention, | 4 | | youth resilience, and community safety as they work together to | 5 | | provide a community perspective to influence local, regional, | 6 | | and State policies that effect juvenile justice and the youth | 7 | | in their communities; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, The Office of Juvenile Justice seeks to reduce | 9 | | "disproportionate minority contact" by reducing over | 10 | | representation of youth of color in the justice system, | 11 | | reducing racial and ethnic disparities at each decision making | 12 | | point, and preventing youth of color from disproportionately | 13 | | entering and moving deeper into the juvenile justice system | 14 | | than other youth; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, A Regional Juvenile Justice Council would seek to | 16 | | research the relationship between attention deficit | 17 | | hyperactivity disorder, childhood trauma, and juvenile | 18 | | delinquency, decrease disproportionate minority school | 19 | | arrests, increase school retention and academic performance, | 20 | | decrease curfew violations, decrease recurring arrests, | 21 | | increase positive group activities for justice involved youth, | 22 | | increase positive role models for justice involved youth, and | 23 | | increase positive messages that discourage violence and |
| | | SR1049 | - 4 - | LRB098 20735 GRL 57703 r |
|
| 1 | | delinquency; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Faith and community-based organizations provide | 3 | | critical leadership, knowledge, and passion when it comes to | 4 | | preventing and intervening in cycles of youth violence and | 5 | | delinquency around the country; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Throughout the nation, faith and non-profit | 7 | | organizations have taken on many tasks in order to keep young | 8 | | people safe and increase positive opportunities for young | 9 | | people; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Staff and volunteers from faith and | 11 | | community-based organizations mentor juveniles, counsel | 12 | | parents, teach classes, serve meals, sponsor after-school | 13 | | programs, conduct home visits, and work with law enforcement | 14 | | agencies to address and reduce the problems related to juvenile | 15 | | delinquency; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, A Regional Juvenile Justice Council would be | 17 | | committed to enhancing the quality of life for all youth by | 18 | | actively advising the Governor, policymakers, and the public on | 19 | | matters related to improving system of care, enhancing | 20 | | interagency community collaboration, and promoting effective | 21 | | programming necessary to serving the needs of the whole child; | 22 | | therefore, be it
|
| | | SR1049 | - 5 - | LRB098 20735 GRL 57703 r |
|
| 1 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL | 2 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we encourage faith and | 3 | | community-based organizations to collaborate with law | 4 | | enforcement, juvenile justice, mental health professionals, | 5 | | educators, and businesses to develop and implement a Regional | 6 | | Juvenile Justice Advisory Council that researches and develops | 7 | | policies and interventions to address juvenile justice | 8 | | disparities and disproportionate minority contact through a | 9 | | collaborative process that takes full advantage of State and | 10 | | federal funding resources; and be it further
| 11 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 12 | | delivered to juvenile justice-involved agencies and | 13 | | organizations through the State of Illinois.
|
|