Gov. Quinn Signs Juvenile Justice Reform Legislation

Cost Effectiveness of Redeploy Illinois Gains Recognition

CHICAGO, April 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Redeploy Illinois, a pilot program
recognized for diverting some 400 youths from expensive incarceration in state
facilities, has been made a permanent state program and given the opportunity
to reach juveniles statewide.

Gov. Pat Quinn on Tuesday signed Senate Bill 1013, which removes the "pilot
status" of Redeploy Illinois and permits the state to offer the program beyond
the pilot counties and make it more accessible by 70 less populated counties
previously excluded because they have low numbers of delinquent youth.

Counties that don't have the benefit of a Redeploy Illinois pilot program have
no financial incentive to take responsibility for the punishment and
rehabilitation of juveniles. The result is a perverse system that encourages
county judges to send youths away to expensive juvenile prisons where the
state picks up the cost of housing, feeding, and sometimes educating each
juvenile. The juvenile prisons in Illinois have proven to be ineffective in
rehabilitating youth, who too often resume their bad behavior on return to
their communities.

Redeploy Illinois changes the incentives and offers counties money to treat
youths in their home communities at far less expense and with greater success.
In exchange, the participating counties agree to reduce the number of youths
sent to state facilities by 25 percent or face a fine.

"By giving counties a financial incentive to keep non-violent youth out of
expensive state facilities, Redeploy Illinois has shown the potential to save
the state millions of dollars and at the same time help turn around the lives
of troubled teens," said Paula Wolff, Senior Executive of Chicago Metropolis
2020. "Redeploy Illinois demonstrates that dollars and lives are saved when
juveniles are held accountable for their actions and rehabilitated in their
home communities."

Chicago Metropolis 2020, a business-based civic organization, and the Juvenile
Justice Initiative (JJI), a statewide coalition promoting juvenile justice
reforms, were early advocates of Redeploy Illinois, which was created by
legislation in 2003.

"Redeploy Illinois is a great example of a fair and rational juvenile justice
policy," said Betsy Clarke, President of JJI. "By reaching young people in
their home communities with social services and oversight, we give them a
better chance of succeeding later in life. Redeploy Illinois holds them
accountable for their crimes, but it also can make it less likely they will
commit future crimes.

"Not only is it less expensive, but Redeploy Illinois communities are finding
that juveniles in the program are far less likely to commit an offense that
sends them back into the juvenile justice system," Clarke said. "That's a
positive development for the youth and for the safety of our communities."

During the first three years of Redeploy Illinois, the four pilot sites sent
approximately 400 fewer youths to the Department of Juvenile Justice, a
reduction of 51 percent in these sites. That reduction is the equivalent of
$18.7 million in "cost avoidance" to the state, according to the Department of
Human Services. The 2008 Redeploy Illinois annual report can be found at this
link: http://www.jjustice.org/pdf/Redeploy Legislative Report 11 08.pdf.

The four initial pilot sites are Macon County, Peoria County, St. Clair County
and the Second Judicial Circuit, which includes 12 counties in southeastern
Illinois.

Five new Redeploy Illinois sites were added this year in Kankakee County, Lee
County, Madison County, McLean County and the counties of Montgomery,
Christian and Marion in the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Planning also has begun
for a Redeploy Illinois program in Cook County.

On average, state government spends more than $70,000 on each youth sent to a
facility operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice. The cost of
providing services locally to youth in Redeploy Illinois ranges from $2,500 to
$9,500 per youth.

About ChicagoMetropolis 2020
Chicago Metropolis 2020 is a nonprofit civic organization created in 1999 by
The Commercial Club of Chicago to promote long-term planning, better regional
cooperation, and smart investments in the Chicago region and its people.

On the Web: http://www.chicagometropolis2020.org/

SOURCE Chicago Metropolis 2020

Jim Bray of Chicago Metropolis 2020, +1-312-332-8131