Juvenile Justice
Illinois Collaboration on Youth (ICOY), in partnership with the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, through the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, provides training and technical assistance to juvenile justice agencies, community-based providers, and Illinois communities. ICOY’s assistance with political analysis and coalition development/support provides support and strengthens juvenile justice reform and systems improvement efforts across Illinois. ICOY currently provides these services to the following juvenile justice-focused entities and programs:
The Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission
A federally mandated State Advisory Group through the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention that helps the Illinois General Assembly, Executive Branch, and local jurisdictions decrease youth involvement with the juvenile justice system and increase positive youth outcomes for juvenile justice-involved youth. The Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission accomplishes this work by ensuring compliance with federal/state laws, crafting policy and practice recommendations, and empowering local solutions, collaboration, and accountability. ICOY supports the JJC by pushing the work for commissioners through committees and working groups and assisting the youth advisory board (YAB).
The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is a group of young adults committed to advocating for and improving the juvenile justice system. YAB members engage in communal learning and bring their lived experience to their collaboration with the IJJC and its committees. For more information on the YAB, please click here.
ICOY supports the facilitation of the IJJC YAB by hosting information sessions, executing the member application process, organizing the new cohort orientation, and assisting the YAB throughout the three-year cycle.
Interested in joining the YAB? Please contact Senior Juvenile Justice Manager Maribel Gonzalez for inquiries.
Redeploy Illinois is a state program that works with community-based providers to offer services to youth that are involved or may become involved with the juvenile justice system within their home communities, reducing reliance on secure confinement. ICOY provides training and technical assistance to 46 counties and judicial circuits that are host to 13 Redeploy Illinois program sites. ICOY also provides technical assistance to Redeploy Focused eligible counties by helping with Redeploy Focused grant applications and program communications. To learn more about Redeploy and get involved through ICOY, contact Prevention and Intervention Manager Hailey Colpitts.
See a list of trainings we offer to Redeploy Illinois Program Providers.
Rising. Elevating. And. Leading. Youth Initiative (R.E.A.L.) is an unassociated group facilitated by previously incarcerated young people. It is a youth-led, peer-mentor resource hub which addresses the trauma and PTSD of incarceration and post-incarceration community re-entry. R.E.A.L. Co-founder Denzel Burke works with young people to address these issues with community education, professional development, the arts, and the use of peace circles for conflict resolution. ICOY is supporting and working with R.E.A.L. through a fiscal sponsorship relationship to ensure they can become a successful standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the future. Find out more about Denzel and the R.E.A.L. team on our Staff page.
A state program providing upstream prevention to keep youth out of the juvenile justice system. See our Runaway & Homeless Youth page for more information.
In efforts to reform the juvenile justice system, ICOY provides systems-level technical assistance to partner organizations in several ways, for example:
- Compliance monitoring: ICOY houses a compliance monitor who works closely with law enforcement and the Illinois Department of Corrections to visit and assess jails, municipal lockups, and juvenile detention centers to ensure they meet or exceed standards for holding young people, and to ensure the core requirements of the U.S. Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act are being upheld.
- Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) reduction strategies: ICOY supports statewide activities relating to the reduction of RED, a core requirement of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. RED reduction strategies include consistent data collection and assessment, the funding and implementation of evidence-based programming, and evaluation of programs to ensure that they address racial bias and racial impact.
If you’re interested in learning about how to get involved in your community’s juvenile justice diversion and reform please reach out to ICOY Juvenile Justice Manager Maribel Gonzalez.
