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Billing it as a measure that gives young people a fairer chance
by working to prevent early criminalization, the Illinois House
advanced Senate Bill 2418 by a 73-41 vote before legislators
adjourned spring session. The Senate didn’t take the bill up on
concurrence, and it remains in a Senate committee.
“My organization has been working for this since 2009,” Clarke
told The Center Square. “We feel strongly that the research
shows that young children are harmed by being in detention and
that they are more likely to repeat offend. I think it's
especially at such a young age profoundly traumatic to be really
stigmatized, be labeled as someone so dangerous you have to be
put in prison.”
Sponsored by state Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, SB 2418
would gradually phase in with detention for 10 and 11 year olds
ceasing on July 1, 2026, and the change for 12 year olds
commencing a year later. The measure would not extend to such
violent crimes as murder, aggravated sexual assault and
aggravated vehicular hijacking.
With data showing only three of the state’s 14 juvenile
detention centers have managed to consistently meet minimum
safety standards over the last several years, with at least two
of them being sued in class action filings over conditions,
Clarke argues the time to act is now.
“In Illinois we’ve been having a crisis in detention,” she said.
“Everybody agrees young children should not be detained. All
children are hurt by being placed in detention, but especially
young children. People who run the detention centers talk about
the children just crying all night. It’s very traumatic. The
other thing is it interrupts their education; it interrupts
their relationships with their families and then it's harder to
get back in.”
SB 2814 also calls for the creation of a Child First Reform Task
Force to review and study the current state of all facilities
and operations, including the Illinois Department of Justice
establishing employment opportunities, educational resources and
parental mentorship training for those in need.
The legislature is scheduled to return to the Illinois State
Capitol in October.
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