Youth Incarceration
The Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, one of the largest in the country, houses more than 100 young people accused of crimes. We write about conditions inside the JTDC and other youth jails and prisons throughout the state.
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Fewer than 50 kids are expected to remain in the juvenile jail, while most kids will be released post-arrest or held in semi-secure, community-based facilities, according to a proposal from Chief Judge Timothy Evans’ office.
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Former juvenile jail superintendent lived in Chicago, report says
Leonard Dixon stepping down as head of Cook County juvenile detention center
‘Horrific’ video of incident at Chicago’s juvenile jail raises questions about recent trial, experts say
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Former Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center employee found not guilty in incident that left a 15-year-old boy unconscious and bruised
The verdict highlights the challenges of holding detention center staff accountable for alleged abuse, advocates say.
Rare criminal trial of former Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center employee expected to start Thursday
For decades, allegations of child abuse and employee misconduct have swirled around Chicago’s juvenile detention center. But on Thursday, a Cook County judge will begin proceedings in a rare trial of a former employee accused of physically harming a child at the facility. Kevin Walker, 58, a former rapid response team specialist at the Cook…
Superintendent of Chicago’s youth jail might not live here, records show
Leonard Dixon has run the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center — one of the largest youth jails in the country — for a decade. Records and interviews suggest he might not live in Chicago and is rarely seen at the facility.
Illinois lawmakers demand probe of Chicago center for troubled youth
Leading Illinois Republican lawmakers on Friday asked the state Auditor General to probe state oversight failures at a now-shuttered South Side youth facility where foster children were physically and sexually abused. The move followed an Injustice Watch investigation published Sept. 20 detailing abuses by staffers hired at Aunt Martha’s Integrated Care Center despite felony convictions,…
Illinois judge closes juvenile detention center after ‘facility in crisis’ fails to meet new state standards
The Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center abruptly closed on Dec. 31. The judge who ordered the closure said staffing shortages made it difficult to meet state standards for caring for youth in custody.
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