HR0568 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY


 


 
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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly passed Senate Bill
3 92 during the 94th General Assembly which created the
4 Department of Juvenile Justice to change the culture within
5 youth facilities from an adult correctional model to a
6 treatment model, along with creating a continuum of programs to
7 support reentry and step down from secure facilities to the
8 community; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Senate Bill 92 which created this new agency was
10 signed into law by Governor Rod Blagojevich on November 17,
11 2005 and became Public Act 94-696 with an effective date of
12 June 1, 2006; and
 
13     WHEREAS, It is the continued belief of this House that
14 juvenile facilities should be completely separated from adult
15 corrections, and should fulfill the mission "to provide
16 treatment and services through a comprehensive continuum of
17 individualized education, vocational, social, emotional, and
18 basic life skills to enable youth to avoid delinquent futures
19 and become productive, fulfilled citizens"; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Prior to the commencement of operation of the
21 Department of Juvenile Justice, the Governor invited a
22 broad-based group of legislators, stakeholders, advocates,

 

 

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1 union representatives, and experts to work on transition
2 planning; and
 
3     WHEREAS, The Department of Juvenile Justice Transition
4 Team met regularly for a 6-month period, completed a detailed
5 Transition Plan, and presented the plan to the Acting Director
6 prior to the commencement of operation of the Department of
7 Juvenile Justice on July 1, 2006; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Nearly one year later, the Department of Juvenile
9 Justice is receiving criticism for failure to meet educational
10 and programming standards; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Members of the House responded by holding a
12 hearing of the House Juvenile Justice Reform Committee on June
13 20, 2007 which heard reports from the Acting Director Kurt
14 Friedenauer, from representatives from AFSCME who worked at St.
15 Charles and Joliet Youth facilities, from the Governor's Office
16 of Management and Budget, and from the John Howard Association;
17 therefore, be it
 
18     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
20 based on the concerns raised at the recent hearing we urge
21 that:
22         (1) the Governor's Office act appropriately and move

 

 

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1     swiftly to complete selection of and appointment of a
2     permanent Director of Juvenile Justice;
3         (2) the Governor's Office act appropriately and move
4     swiftly to appoint an Advisory Board, as required under the
5     authorizing legislation;
6         (3) the Governor's Office act appropriately and move
7     swiftly to approve new job classifications, hire staff
8     provided for in appropriations, and fill education and
9     teaching vacancies as quickly as possible;
10         (4) the Director of Juvenile Justice move forward in an
11     effort to hire a Superintendent of Education for the
12     Department;
13         (5) the Governor's Office, Department of Juvenile
14     Justice, and the State Board of Education explore new
15     approaches to recruiting and retaining educational
16     personnel in the Department of Juvenile Justice to address
17     the teaching shortages and educational needs of the youth;
18         (6) the Director of Juvenile Justice develop training
19     programs for supervisory and line staff, emphasizing the
20     impact of the new treatment philosophy on approaches to
21     discipline; and
22         (7) the Director of Juvenile Justice continue tracking
23     and requiring oversight of the use of the troubling
24     disciplinary practice of solitary confinement, which is
25     condemned by international children's rights agreements
26     and prohibited in most industrialized nations; and be it

 

 

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1     further
 
2     RESOLVED, That the Governor of this great State of
3 Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, report back to the 95th General
4 Assembly no later than December 1, 2007 the named directors,
5 board members, and other referenced personnel that the
6 Executive branch is under a duty by law to appoint; and be it
7 further
 
8     RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to
9 the Governor, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the State
10 Board of Education.