Overview of Illinois’ Juvenile Justice Data Systems
Published Dec 8, 2013, Illinois Juvenile Justice Research and Information Consortium Briefing Document
In Illinois, information on youth involved in the juvenile justice system is collected in a patchwork of municipal, county and state data systems. Not only do the actual data systems or programs vary, but there is also wide variety in the types of data captured, the frequency with which data is recorded and the use of that data. Sharing information on youth involved in the justice system can take two basic forms: 1) sharing information as permitted by law and best practice regarding an individual youth or family for the purposes of informing or guiding a specific set of decisions; or 2) sharing data about a group or category of youth, typically to inform policy, allocate resources effectively, understand case processing or conduct research. Structured information collection and sharing on individual youth or in the aggregate is sporadic, inconsistent and varies widely across the state. This brief provides an overview of the data collection mechanisms in place at each key “decision point” of the Illinois juvenile justice system. It is based, in part, on the analysis of the Center for Prevention Research and Development, University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.