IL HR0396

Urges the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission to review current restorative justice practices in the state's juvenile justice system and examine models from other states and nations like Northern Ireland, Finland, and New Zealand.

Directs the Commission to work with the Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice Project, Illinois Juvenile Justice Initiative, community groups, and schools in conducting this comprehensive review.

Requests recommendations to expand restorative justice practices statewide with the goal of restoring public safety through rehabilitation of youth offenders while maintaining full due process and human rights protections.

Emphasizes maximizing community-based responses and using incarceration only as a last resort for the shortest time possible, rather than relying on prisons and punishment.

Notes Illinois' historical legacy as home to the world's first juvenile court and acknowledges restorative justice principles were included in the state's Juvenile Court Act in 1999, though current practices remain fragmented without uniform statewide implementation.