IL SR0477

Illinois urges the Juvenile Justice Commission, working with the Balanced and Restorative Justice Project, Juvenile Justice Initiative, community groups, and schools to review current restorative justice practices in the state's juvenile justice system.

Commission shall review restorative justice practices in other states, cultures, and nations as models for potential expansion in Illinois.

Commission shall report recommendations to the General Assembly on expanding restorative justice in Illinois's juvenile justice system with goals of public safety, restoration of youth offenders, and maximizing community-based responses.

Recommendations must incorporate full due process and human rights protections for children, respect for confidentiality, least restrictive alternatives, and use of incarceration only as a last resort.

Resolution acknowledges Illinois's historical leadership in juvenile courts and notes successful restorative justice implementations in Northern Ireland, Finland, New Zealand, and other jurisdictions.