ILLINOIS (WAND) - Gov. JB Pritzker has signed a bill reforming juvenile justice by reducing mandatory minimums, among other changes.
House Bill 3513, also known as the Procedural Justice for Youth Act, removes mandatory penalties that create longer sentences for younger teens than for older youth who commit the same crimes. In one change, youth given the label of habitual juvenile offender or violent offender will receive a proportionate extension to their stay in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice and will no longer be committed until age 21. Concurrent sentencing has been clarified so calculating sentences is uniformly done for youth across Illinois, the governor's office said.
The bill also makes operational changes allowing IDJJ to align with national practice standards and the department's mission. IDJJ is now not allowed to use isolation or room confinement as a punishment in response to youth behavior, in line with the department's consent decree and national standards for juvenile facilities.
“Our Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is continuing its transformational work to build a system that nurtures our young people, supports their growth, and fosters a successful return to a welcoming community,” said Pritzker. “I’m proud to sign the Procedural Justice for Youth Act into law to advance this critical mission as we leave the punitive models of the past behind and reimagine our juvenile justice system. I want to thank IDJJ Director Heidi Mueller for her leadership and the sponsoring lawmakers Sen. Connor and Rep. Slaughter for passing this vital legislation.”
“We are grateful to Governor Pritzker for continuing to support IDJJ’s 21st Century Transformation Model and helping move Illinois toward a juvenile justice system that is truly just,” Mueller said. “By signing the Procedural Justice for Youth Act into law, Governor Pritzker is ensuring better equity in sentencing for young people, promoting procedural justice, and making sure more youth have opportunities to participate in the treatment, education, and programming that can help them turn their lives around.”
