In Illinois, and many other states, youth who are adjudicated delinquent for sex offenses are subject to adult sex offender rules and restrictions and many receive permanent adult felony convictions. Yet, according to a report by the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, youth are highly amenable to treatment and highly unlikely to sexually reoffend. Equally compelling, strategies used with adults are counterproductive when applied to youth, interfere with rehabilitation and even undermine the long-term safety and well-being of our communities.
In light of this issue, the Illinois General Assembly charged the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission with making recommendations to ensure the effective treatment and supervision of youth who are adjudicated delinuent for a sex offense.
To fulfill the charge, the Commission partnered with the Civitas ChildLaw Legislation and Policy Clinic at Loyola University Chicago School of Law to conduct the state's first comprehensive study on youth sexual offending. Over a two year period, clinic students worked under the supervision of Professor Anita Weinberg, Policy Clinic Teaching Fellow Amy Meek and former Fellow Soledad McGrath to design and carry out the project.
The study, Improving Illinois' Response to Sexual Offenses Committed by Youth, includes recommendations on best practices that better align Illinois law with the research in order to meet the needs of youth. The study will be presented to the governor, general assembly and the public.
This project is an excellent example of an innovative approach to engaging law students in policy work that addresses social and legal issues in the surrounding community. The students engaged in comprehensive legal analysis, empirical research (that included review of probation files and juvenile justice master files) and the development of model policies.
Congratulations to the ChildLaw Legislation and Policy Clinic!