Illinois Juvenile Offenders Expensive to House; Facilities to Close

 Posted on March 06, 2012 in Juvenile Crimes

A recent Canton Daily Ledger article out of the provides that one Illinois county (Fulton) spent over $406,000 housing juvenile offenders outside of their own county. The article mentions one treatment facility that costs close to $9,000 per month per person. Yet another news piece tells of Gov. Pat Quinn’s plan to close ten Illinois detention centers, including two juvenile facilities – despite the fact that the number of juvenile crimes in Illinois is increasing.

In the words of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA,) “incarceration is used too often as a solution for children with problems.” The fact is that Illinois spends over $100 million each year to incarcerate nearly 1,400 juveniles – including around 2,000 that haven’t even been convicted of a crime and are simply awaiting trial.

In Illinois, a juvenile crime is one that is committed by someone age 17 or under. Most often, juvenile offenders are children who made poor choices, and classifying and sentencing them the same way as adult criminals is both unfair and unreasonable. If your minor family member has been accused of a crime, it’s important to hire a Chicago lawyer who is experienced in juvenile crime defense. A skilled Cook County, Illinois juvenile crime attorney understands the prosecution and Illinois’ juvenile crime laws, and may be able to prevent your underage family member from ending up with a permanent criminal record or being sentenced to time in a detention facility. Click here to arrange a free consultation with Rolling Meadows juvenile defense lawyer Christopher M. Cosley.