February 23, 2022 Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission IL Racial Justice & Equity Committee Meeting

Audience

Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission IL Racial Justice & Equity Committee Members and Staff. The public is welcome to attend.

Date/Time

February 23, 2022

2:30pm - 4:00pm

Location

Virtual/401 S Clinton

Join Zoom Meeting:  https://zoom.us/j/94126531534?pwd=anhkOVdpZlZKaDh5NFRzMWRycGNOUT09

Agenda

1. Welcome, Announcement & Roll Call
2. Approval of October 27, 2021 and January 27, 2022 meeting minutes
3. Review Group Norms
4. Presentation: Juvenile Justice Councils
5. Workgroup Report Out and Next Steps
   1. Quantitative
   2. Qualitative
6. New Business
7. Public Comment
8. Adjourn

Minutes

1. Welcome, Announcement & Roll Call
   Executive Director Andrea Hall called the meeting to order at 2:30pm. Co-chair Michelle Mbekiani called roll and asked committee members to share the name of someone they are drawing inspiration from throughout Black History Month.
   Roll Call: Ebonie Epinger, Andrea Hall, Haley Hopkins, Omar Jamil, Amanda Klonsky, Karen Levi, Jourdan Martinez, Michelle Mbekiani, Tamela Meehan, Peg Robertson, Julia Schick, Samuel Smith, Tamara Vaughn-Walker, Dana Weiner.
   Staff: Maribel Gonzalez, Esther Kaplan, Moises Prospero.
   Guests: Colton Currah, Jamie Ellison, Alida Graham, Devon Joyner, Honorable George Timberlake.
2. Approval of October 27, 2021 and January 27, 2022 meeting minutes
   Motion: Co-chair Julia Schick called for a motion to approve the meeting minutes from October 27, 2021 and January 27, 2022. Amanda Klonsky moved approval. Michelle Mbekiani seconded the motion. No abstentions. No opposition. Motion carried.
3. Review Group Norms
   Michelle Mbekiani reviewed group norms with committee members. No updates were made.
4. Presentation: Juvenile Justice Councils
   Julia Schick introduced the Juvenile Justice Councils to committee members. The Commission currently provides funding to five sites for Juvenile Justice Councils and representatives from each council were invited to present what they have been working on to the committee. The Commission aims to support and uplift the work of the Illinois Association of Juvenile Justice Councils. Councils across the state work to ensure that youth do not enter the Juvenile Justice system unnecessarily, and that those that do enter the system are treated fairly and leave with positive outcomes.
   Julia Schick invited Samuel Smith to introduce Honorable George Timberlake. Judge Timberlake spent over twenty years as a trial court judge and was formerly the Chief Judge of Illinois' 2nd Judicial Circuit. He spent nine years as the Chair of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission. Samuel Smith invited Judge Timberlake to continue his introduction.
   Judge Timberlake shared background information on what led the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission to begin funding Juvenile Justice Councils. It became clear in 2008 that there was an impediment to meaningful juvenile justice reform in Illinois and there was no existing forum where policy change could be discussed by all members of the stakeholder groups. By conducting outreach with other councils, thirteen Juvenile Justice Associations across the country were discovered and advocating began across the state for the creation of more councils. Included in the formation of these councils were Racial and Ethnic Disparity tools to aid in the push for more thoughtful considerations of racial and ethnic issues throughout every system that interacts with the juvenile justice system.
   Julia Schick thanked Samuel Smith and Judge Timberlake for the introduction and moved the discussion towards local jurisdictions. Julia Schick invited Jourdan Martinez to provide information about Madison County's Juvenile Justice Council. Madison County's Juvenile Justice Council is relatively new and meets monthly with thirty-five members, which include court personnel, probation and detention staff, youth and family service providers, and education representatives. The council is in its early stages of forming a Racial and Ethnic Disparities subcommittee, a Youth Justice Board and a Juvenile Justice Council plan. The council is currently collecting data at six decision points to identify disparities throughout the county and found that in FY2021, twelve out of thirteen youth who were sentenced to IDJJ were African American. The council has established a Youth Advisory Board and plans to expand Board membership to youth across the juvenile justice system. The council prioritizes being youth, family, and community driven. When asked if there have been any barriers that the council has experienced, Jourdan Martinez shared that getting all council members to participate in the creation of a Racial and Ethnic Disparities plan has been difficult.
   Julia Schick invited Jamie Ellison to speak. Jamie Ellison highlighted Chestnut Health Systems, a provider that recently closed its residential treatment facility. It is likely that the closure of this facility will have a lasting impact on the surrounding community. Without an available treatment center in Madison or St. Clair counties, detention numbers may increase. Both counties will discuss alternative treatment options in their next Juvenile Justice Council meetings.
   Julia Schick invited Haley Hopkins to provide information about Morgan County's Juvenile Justice Council. The council was established in 2017 and is housed at Midwest Youth Services in Jacksonville, Illinois. It was created to develop a plan that involved community stakeholders in addressing issues in the juvenile justice system. The council is comprised of 23 members and meets every two months. There is a Truancy Committee that meets quarterly. Members of the council include educators, law enforcement, DJJ, NAACP, and Detention. It has been challenging for the council to engage the legal and court system, as well as the Probation Department. A possible reason for this is the push for diversion and the implementation of trauma informed strategies, which both cause the county to rely less on the court system. The council is currently creating a Racial and Ethnic Disparities plan using the promising practices from the National Juvenile Justice Council Network. Law enforcement throughout the county receive regular trauma training and all officers are juvenile certified. The council has implemented Washington Aggression Interruption Training (WAIT) classes to address youth violence at schools in the area. The council also collaborated with the Police Department to purchase live-scan equipment, which works to ensure compliance with Site and Sound Separation. The council participates in Law Enforcement and Related Networks (LEARN) meetings to ensure a wrap-around approach with youth, particularly youth who are highly resource consuming. When asked about barriers that the council has experienced, Haley Hopkins identified obtaining data as a significant challenge.
   Julia Schick invited Tamara Vaughn-Walker to provide information about St. Clair County's Juvenile Justice Council. St. Clair County's council was established in 2011 by the former State's Attorney. Some members of the council include Detention, Probation, and law enforcement. Within the council, there is a Teen Court Committee, a School-Based Truancy Committee, a Capacity and Resource Committee, and a Detention Center Committee. Programs that have been established through the council include the Teen Court Program, the Detention Center's One-Stop Shop Plan, and the Restore and Education Opportunity Program. In 2017, the council partnered with the Illinois Association of JJCs to write a violence prevention grant focusing on school-based efforts and the implementation of school-based health services for school districts with the highest truancy rates. In 2018, a parent advocacy group organized around HB5195, which focused on supporting the transportation needs of youth living within a mile and a half of their schools. The council partners with Equip for Equality on education justice issues and prioritizes activating community and youth voices throughout the process. At the core of the council's work is addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities across systems. The success of the council is exemplified in the county's reduction in case numbers in the last seven years. In 2015, 892 cases were filed in St. Clair County. In 2021, there were 296 cases filed.
   Julia Schick thanked each Juvenile Justice Council for their presentations. Due to time constraints, Kane County will share their presentation at the next committee meeting.
5. Workgroup Report Out and Next Steps
   1. Quantitative
   2. Qualitative
      • The committee did not act on these items. Reports from each workgroup will be sent via email.
6. New Business
   The committee did not act on this item.
7. Public Comment
   Julia Schick called for public comment.
   Andrea Hall shared a Call to Action that the Commission published in 2020 after George Floyd was killed and asked committee members to review it before the next meeting. The Call to Action provides concrete steps that would reduce the negative impact of the Juvenile Justice system on youth of color. It could serve as a resource for recommendations to address racial and ethnic disparities for the counties that the committee works with.
8. Adjourn
   Motion: Michelle Mbekiani called for a motion to adjourn at 4pm. Amanda Klonsky moved approval. Julia Schick seconded the motion. No abstentions. No opposition. Motion carried.