SB2197 EnrolledLRB103 24916 RLC 57099 b

1    AN ACT concerning criminal law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
5changing Sections 3-2.7-5, 3-2.7-10, 3-2.7-20, 3-2.7-25,
63-2.7-30, 3-2.7-35, 3-2.7-40, 3-2.7-50, and 3-2.7-55 as
7follows:
 
8    (730 ILCS 5/3-2.7-5)
9    Sec. 3-2.7-5. Purpose. The purpose of this Article is to
10create within the Department of Juvenile Justice the Office of
11Independent Juvenile Ombudsman for the purpose of securing the
12rights of youth committed to the Department of Juvenile
13Justice and county-operated juvenile detention centers,
14including youth released on aftercare before final discharge.
15(Source: P.A. 98-1032, eff. 8-25-14.)
 
16    (730 ILCS 5/3-2.7-10)
17    Sec. 3-2.7-10. Definitions. In this Article, unless the
18context requires otherwise:
19    "County-operated juvenile detention center" means any
20shelter care home or detention home as "shelter" and
21"detention" are defined in Section 1.1 of the County Shelter
22Care and Detention Home Act and any other facility that

 

 

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1detains youth in the juvenile justice system that is
2specifically designated to detain or incarcerate youth.
3"County-operated juvenile detention center" does not include
4police or other temporary law enforcement holding locations.
5    "Department" means the Department of Juvenile Justice.
6    "Immediate family or household member" means the spouse,
7child, parent, brother, sister, grandparent, or grandchild,
8whether of the whole blood or half blood or by adoption, or a
9person who shares a common dwelling.
10    "Juvenile justice system" means all activities by public
11or private agencies or persons pertaining to youth involved in
12or having contact with the police, courts, or corrections.
13    "Office" means the Office of the Independent Juvenile
14Ombudsman.
15    "Ombudsman" means the Department of Juvenile Justice
16Independent Juvenile Ombudsman.
17    "Youth" means any person committed by court order to the
18custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice or a
19county-operated juvenile detention center, including youth
20released on aftercare before final discharge.
21(Source: P.A. 98-1032, eff. 8-25-14.)
 
22    (730 ILCS 5/3-2.7-20)
23    Sec. 3-2.7-20. Conflicts of interest. A person may not
24serve as Ombudsman or as a deputy if the person or the person's
25immediate family or household member:

 

 

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1        (1) is or has been employed by the Department of
2    Juvenile Justice, or Department of Corrections, or a
3    county-operated juvenile detention center within one year
4    prior to appointment, other than as Ombudsman or Deputy
5    Ombudsman;
6        (2) participates in the management of a business
7    entity or other organization receiving funds from the
8    Department of Juvenile Justice or a county-operated
9    juvenile detention center;
10        (3) owns or controls, directly or indirectly, any
11    interest in a business entity or other organization
12    receiving funds from the Department of Juvenile Justice or
13    a county-operated juvenile detention center;
14        (4) uses or receives any amount of tangible goods,
15    services, or funds from the Department of Juvenile Justice
16    or a county-operated juvenile detention center, other than
17    as Ombudsman or Deputy Ombudsman; or
18        (5) is required to register as a lobbyist for an
19    organization that interacts with the juvenile justice
20    system.
21(Source: P.A. 98-1032, eff. 8-25-14.)
 
22    (730 ILCS 5/3-2.7-25)
23    Sec. 3-2.7-25. Duties and powers.
24    (a) The Independent Juvenile Ombudsman shall function
25independently within the Department of Juvenile Justice and

 

 

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1county-operated juvenile detention centers with respect to the
2operations of the Office in performance of his or her duties
3under this Article and shall report to the Governor and to
4local authorities as provided in Section 3-2.7-50. The
5Ombudsman shall adopt rules and standards as may be necessary
6or desirable to carry out his or her duties. Funding for the
7Office shall be designated separately within Department funds
8and shall include funds for operations at county-operated
9juvenile detention centers. The Department shall provide
10necessary administrative services and facilities to the Office
11of the Independent Juvenile Ombudsman. County-operated
12juvenile detention centers shall provide necessary
13administrative services and space, upon request, inside the
14facility to the Office of the Independent Juvenile Ombudsman
15to meet confidentially with youth and otherwise in performance
16of his or her duties under this Article.
17    (b) The Office of Independent Juvenile Ombudsman shall
18have the following duties:
19        (1) review and monitor the implementation of the rules
20    and standards established by the Department of Juvenile
21    Justice and county-operated juvenile detention centers and
22    evaluate the delivery of services to youth to ensure that
23    the rights of youth are fully observed;
24        (2) provide assistance to a youth or family whom the
25    Ombudsman determines is in need of assistance, including
26    advocating with an agency, provider, or other person in

 

 

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1    the best interests of the youth;
2        (3) investigate and attempt to resolve complaints made
3    by or on behalf of youth, other than complaints alleging
4    criminal behavior or violations of the State Officials and
5    Employees Ethics Act, if the Office determines that the
6    investigation and resolution would further the purpose of
7    the Office, and:
8            (A) a youth committed to the Department of
9        Juvenile Justice or a county-operated juvenile
10        detention center or the youth's family is in need of
11        assistance from the Office; or
12            (B) a systemic issue in the Department of Juvenile
13        Justice's or county-operated juvenile detention
14        center's provision of services is raised by a
15        complaint;
16        (4) review or inspect periodically the facilities and
17    procedures of any county-operated juvenile detention
18    center or any facility in which a youth has been placed by
19    the Department of Juvenile Justice to ensure that the
20    rights of youth are fully observed; and
21        (5) be accessible to and meet confidentially and
22    regularly with youth committed to the Department or a
23    county-operated juvenile detention center and serve as a
24    resource by informing them of pertinent laws, rules, and
25    policies, and their rights thereunder.
26    (c) The following cases shall be reported immediately to

 

 

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1the Director of Juvenile Justice and the Governor, and for
2cases that arise in county-operated juvenile detention
3centers, to the chief judge of the applicable judicial circuit
4and the Director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois
5Courts:
6        (1) cases of severe abuse or injury of a youth;
7        (2) serious misconduct, misfeasance, malfeasance, or
8    serious violations of policies and procedures concerning
9    the administration of a Department of Juvenile Justice or
10    county-operated juvenile detention center program or
11    operation;
12        (3) serious problems concerning the delivery of
13    services in a county-operated juvenile detention center or
14    a facility operated by or under contract with the
15    Department of Juvenile Justice;
16        (4) interference by the Department of Juvenile Justice
17    or county-operated juvenile detention center with an
18    investigation conducted by the Office; and
19        (5) other cases as deemed necessary by the Ombudsman.
20    (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
21Ombudsman may not investigate alleged criminal behavior or
22violations of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. If
23the Ombudsman determines that a possible criminal act has been
24committed, or that special expertise is required in the
25investigation, he or she shall immediately notify the Illinois
26State Police. If the Ombudsman determines that a possible

 

 

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1violation of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act has
2occurred, he or she shall immediately refer the incident to
3the Office of the Governor's Executive Inspector General for
4investigation. If the Ombudsman receives a complaint from a
5youth or third party regarding suspected abuse or neglect of a
6child, the Ombudsman shall refer the incident to the Child
7Abuse and Neglect Hotline or to the Illinois State Police as
8mandated by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Any
9investigation conducted by the Ombudsman shall not be
10duplicative and shall be separate from any investigation
11mandated by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. All
12investigations conducted by the Ombudsman shall be conducted
13in a manner designed to ensure the preservation of evidence
14for possible use in a criminal prosecution.
15    (e) In performance of his or her duties, the Ombudsman
16may:
17        (1) review court files of youth;
18        (2) recommend policies, rules, and legislation
19    designed to protect youth;
20        (3) make appropriate referrals under any of the duties
21    and powers listed in this Section;
22        (4) attend internal administrative and disciplinary
23    hearings to ensure the rights of youth are fully observed
24    and advocate for the best interest of youth when deemed
25    necessary; and
26        (5) perform other acts, otherwise permitted or

 

 

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1    required by law, in furtherance of the purpose of the
2    Office.
3    (f) To assess if a youth's rights have been violated, the
4Ombudsman may, in any matter that does not involve alleged
5criminal behavior, contact or consult with an administrator,
6employee, youth, parent, expert, or any other individual in
7the course of his or her investigation or to secure
8information as necessary to fulfill his or her duties.
9(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)
 
10    (730 ILCS 5/3-2.7-30)
11    Sec. 3-2.7-30. Duties of the Department of Juvenile
12Justice or county-operated juvenile detention center.
13    (a) The Department of Juvenile Justice and every
14county-operated juvenile detention center shall allow any
15youth to communicate with the Ombudsman or a deputy at any
16time. The communication:
17        (1) may be in person, by phone, by mail, or by any
18    other means deemed appropriate in light of security
19    concerns; and
20        (2) is confidential and privileged.
21    (b) The Department and county-operated juvenile detention
22centers shall allow the Ombudsman and deputies full and
23unannounced access to youth and Department facilities and
24county-operated juvenile detention centers at any time. The
25Department and county-operated juvenile detention centers

 

 

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1shall furnish the Ombudsman and deputies with appropriate
2meeting space in each facility in order to preserve
3confidentiality.
4    (c) The Department and county-operated juvenile detention
5centers shall allow the Ombudsman and deputies to participate
6in professional development opportunities provided by the
7Department of Juvenile Justice and county-operated juvenile
8detention centers as practical and to attend appropriate
9professional training when requested by the Ombudsman.
10    (d) The Department and county-operated juvenile detention
11centers shall provide the Ombudsman copies of critical
12incident reports involving a youth residing in a facility
13operated by the Department or a county-operated juvenile
14detention center. Critical incidents include, but are not
15limited to, severe injuries that result in hospitalization,
16suicide attempts that require medical intervention, sexual
17abuse, and escapes.
18    (e) The Department and county-operated juvenile detention
19centers shall provide the Ombudsman with reasonable advance
20notice of all internal administrative and disciplinary
21hearings regarding a youth residing in a facility operated by
22the Department or a county-operated juvenile detention center.
23    (f) The Department of Juvenile Justice and county-operated
24juvenile detention centers may not discharge, demote,
25discipline, or in any manner discriminate or retaliate against
26a youth or an employee who in good faith makes a complaint to

 

 

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1the Office of the Independent Juvenile Ombudsman or cooperates
2with the Office.
3(Source: P.A. 98-1032, eff. 8-25-14.)
 
4    (730 ILCS 5/3-2.7-35)
5    Sec. 3-2.7-35. Reports. The Independent Juvenile Ombudsman
6shall provide to the General Assembly and the Governor, no
7later than January 1 of each year, a summary of activities done
8in furtherance of the purpose of the Office for the prior
9fiscal year. The summaries shall contain data both aggregated
10and disaggregated by individual facility and describe:
11        (1) the work of the Ombudsman;
12        (2) the status of any review or investigation
13    undertaken by the Ombudsman, but may not contain any
14    confidential or identifying information concerning the
15    subjects of the reports and investigations; and
16        (3) any recommendations that the Independent Juvenile
17    Ombudsman has relating to a systemic issue in the
18    Department of Juvenile Justice's or a county-operated
19    juvenile detention center's provision of services and any
20    other matters for consideration by the General Assembly
21    and the Governor.
22    With respect to county-operated juvenile detention
23centers, the Ombudsman shall provide data responsive to
24paragraphs (1) through (3) to the chief judge of the
25applicable judicial circuit and to the Director of the

 

 

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1Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, and shall make
2the data publicly available.
3(Source: P.A. 98-1032, eff. 8-25-14.)
 
4    (730 ILCS 5/3-2.7-40)
5    Sec. 3-2.7-40. Complaints. The Office of Independent
6Juvenile Ombudsman shall promptly and efficiently act on
7complaints made by or on behalf of youth filed with the Office
8that relate to the operations or staff of the Department of
9Juvenile Justice or a county-operated juvenile detention
10center. The Office shall maintain information about parties to
11the complaint, the subject matter of the complaint, a summary
12of the results of the review or investigation of the
13complaint, including any resolution of or recommendations made
14as a result of the complaint. The Office shall make
15information available describing its procedures for complaint
16investigation and resolution. When applicable, the Office
17shall notify the complaining youth that an investigation and
18resolution may result in or will require disclosure of the
19complaining youth's identity. The Office shall periodically
20notify the complaint parties of the status of the complaint
21until final disposition.
22(Source: P.A. 98-1032, eff. 8-25-14.)
 
23    (730 ILCS 5/3-2.7-50)
24    Sec. 3-2.7-50. Promotion and awareness of Office. The

 

 

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1Independent Juvenile Ombudsman shall promote awareness among
2the public and youth of:
3        (1) the rights of youth committed to the Department
4    and county-operated juvenile detention centers;
5        (2) the purpose of the Office;
6        (3) how the Office may be contacted;
7        (4) the confidential nature of communications; and
8        (5) the services the Office provides.
9(Source: P.A. 98-1032, eff. 8-25-14; 99-78, eff. 7-20-15.)
 
10    (730 ILCS 5/3-2.7-55)
11    Sec. 3-2.7-55. Access to information of governmental
12entities. The Department of Juvenile Justice and
13county-operated juvenile detention centers shall provide the
14Independent Juvenile Ombudsman unrestricted access to all
15master record files of youth under Section 3-5-1 of this Code
16or any other files of youth in the custody of county-operated
17juvenile detention centers, or both. Access to educational,
18social, psychological, mental health, substance abuse, and
19medical records shall not be disclosed except as provided in
20Section 5-910 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, the Mental
21Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act, the
22School Code, and any applicable federal laws that govern
23access to those records.
24(Source: P.A. 98-1032, eff. 8-25-14.)
 
25    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on

 

 

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1January 1, 2025.