April 13, 2005

Dear Action Alert Member,

Your call is needed! Senate Bill 283, legislation that reforms the system for "automatically" transferring juveniles accused of certain crimes into the adult criminal justice system, may be voted on in the Illinois Senate as early as today. The measure is a compromise reached by juvenile justice advocates and prosecutors after hearings and deliberations by a Legislative Task Force approved last year. The law applies only to the most racially biased charges that result in automatic transfer - including drug offenses that occur within 1000 feet of a school or public housing facility - the vast majority of which are charged in Cook County. Please call your state senator.

ACTION NEEDED: Call your state senator this week and tell him/her to vote "YES" on Senate Bill 283. This bill ensures that judges will make individualized decisions - based on a number of specified factors - to transfer a youth to adult court, rather than a prosecutor making the decision based upon the charges they file. Senate Bill 283 does NOT prevent the trying of a youth as an adult, but places more responsibility for this important decision in the hands of a judge. If you are not certain of who your state senator is, you can find out at http://www.elections.state.il.us/dls/pages/DLSAddresscrit.asp.

Senate Bill 283 alleviates the disparities in "automatic" transfers that are overwhelmingly from Cook County. More than 97% of all "automatic" transfers come from Cook County. More than 99% of all "automatic transfers are racial minorities. More than 65% of all "automatic" transfers had NO previous services in the juvenile court - services unavailable in adult court. More than one-third all "automatic" transfers are for low-level drug offenses. Senate Bill 283 standardizes factors for judges to consider in deciding whether a juvenile in adult court. The Illinois State Bar Association, the Juvenile Justice Initiative and other statewide and national juvenile justice advocates endorse Senate Bill 283.

Please call your state senator today and support this important reform of our juvenile justice system!