The Chicago Tribune published an article about a plan that outlines areas of improvement to address substandard conditions within juvenile justice facilities throughout Illinois. The proposed remedial plan, released today and filed in a district court late last week, defines five problem areas within six facilities across the state. Those areas include education, mental health treatment, idleness, solitary confinement, community placement, and rights of LGBT youth who are detained. The plan comes as a result of a settlement between the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice and detained youth represented by the ACLU of Illinois.
"Taken together, this plan provides a real opportunity for improving the lives of youths detained by the state of Illinois," said Adam Schwartz, senior legal counsel for the ACLU of Illinois, in a prepared statement. "The plan represents an enforceable mechanism for moving forward."
