Juvenile Justice needs reform, not reorganization

A new study finds that four years after the creation of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) as a stand-alone agency—a reorganization proponents said would reduce recidivism among juvenile offenders—the state’s eight Illinois Youth Centers still lack the education and treatment programs young offenders need to rebuild their lives.

The report, “Road to Reform: Rebuilding Juvenile Justice in Illinois”, dismisses Governor Pat Quinn’s plan to merge the DJJ into the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) as yet another restructuring that fails to confront these fundamental problems.

Using budget analyses and a comprehensive opinion survey of hundreds of youth center teachers, counselors, juvenile justice specialists and other frontline employees, it concludes that rather than merging DJJ with DCFS, the state should:

• Strengthen academic and vocational education programs. These programs have drastically declined in recent years, leaving many youth without even the educational basics or the rudiments of any job skills. From the employee survey: “These youth need more programs preparing them for life after parole—living skills, job skills, independent living, how to apply for a job. They leave here without these skills and then reoffend. We send them home with a GED certificate and no other training."

• Expand access to counseling, drug treatment and other mental health programs.  Mental health care, substance abuse treatment, organized recreation and specialized parole services that are essential to rehabilitating young offenders have been decimated by budget and staff cuts. From the survey: “The counselors are so overloaded at this facility that they cannot possibly attend to the needs of the youth in a timely manner, if at all.”

• Adequately staff juvenile facilities. The DJJ budget has increased at just 0.6% per year, less than the rate of inflation. As a result, its pervasive staff shortages have not been addressed. Frontline staff remains 24% below 2002 levels, with counselors, social workers, psychologists and other non-education program staff down 40%, and the youth centers 41 teachers short of complying with minimum state standards. The staff shortage has driven overtime costs up 147% in the same period. From the survey: “Many positions haven’t been filled since employees left or retired. Everyone is doing more.”

• Ensure youth accountability and safety. The department never provided staff training it promised in new behavior-modification techniques and accountability measures—a fact that has paired with the staff shortage to foment rising violence. More than four in five juvenile justice employees (85%) say the youth centers are less safe today than four years ago, and nearly two-thirds (65%) have witnessed violence among youth or attacks on staff members. From the survey: “I was the target of a youth assault on two teachers. I was struck in the face and body with the youth's fists. I had minor injuries as a result and came back the next day. The other teacher was not so fortunate--had major injuries and hospitalization.”

• Reject bureaucratic reorganization over reinvestment and real reform. DCFS itself is severely short of staff and resources, and has no experience operating secure facilities. There is no evidence it can rebuild education and treatment programs, make the youth centers safer and ultimately reduce recidivism.  Instead the state needs to make a serious commitment to reform that involves heeding the voices and concerns of frontline employees who have dedicated their careers to helping juvenile offenders rebuild their lives. From the survey: “Allow area supervisors to do their jobs and have Springfield stop micromanaging. Listen to frontline staff, because they are the first to notice problems.”

The study is authored by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31. It includes extensive quotes from the firsthand experience of frontline employees.

AFSCME staff and union members who work in DJJ and DCFS will present these findings to a hearing of the Illinois House of Representatives Appropriations-Public Safety committee tomorrow—Wednesday, July 28—at 10:00 a.m. at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago.