HB 1518 - Raises the age of Juvenile Offenders to include 17 year olds
HB 1517 - Raises only for misdemeanors, creates study commission for felonies
Sponsor: Rep. A. Collins (D-Chicago)

The Illinois Probation and Court Services Association (IPCSA), while supporting the goals of this legislation, must regretfully oppose the passage of these House Bills.

This legislation was introduced at the request of the Juvenile Justice Initiative.  The supporters recognize that there will be an increased cost to the juvenile justice system, but are relying on mythical funding sources to make up the costs attributed to this legislation.  “Pass the bill, the funding will follow.”

• Three separate studies have shown that the minimum cost increase is 30 percent of the cost of juvenile probation and detention, and could cost as high as 40 percent more.  Commitments to secure facilities, whether county detention centers, the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, or to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, would increase 28 to 33%. 

• The studies were conducted by the National Center for Juvenile Justice, Kane County (Illinois) Probation and Court Services Department, and the Circuit Court of Cook County (Illinois), Juvenile Justice and Child Protection Division.  Each analysis examined the number of 17 year olds likely to enter probation based on types of offenses.  Each came to nearly identical findings, although Cook County’s was slightly higher. 

• Testimony at a seminar sponsored by the Juvenile Justice Initiative by a Juvenile Judge from Pennsylvania, which includes 17 year olds in the juvenile justice system, states that those 17 year olds constitute 24% of their caseload—which would translate into a 30-33 percent increase here, identical to the studies above.

• This proposed increased caseload would strain already under-funded probation department budgets, who have suffered greatly from budget cuts, hiring freezes, and reductions in State subsidies.  State subsidies account for approximately $65.0 million, down from nearly $80.0 million five years ago. 

• The annual cost to the 102 counties for juvenile probation and the 16 juvenile detention centers, including Cook, is $146.4 million per year.  The cost impact of House Bill 1518 is $41.0 to $44.0 million per year.  House Bill 1517 would cost at least 1/3 of that immediately, $14.0 million.  That would be in addition to the $14.4 million shortfall in State reimbursements to counties for juvenile probation and detention salaries.  The increased cost figure also includes the minimal cost savings to Adult Probation.  Juvenile Probation is more cost-intensive and 17 year olds are a smaller percentage of the adult caseload.  The annual funding shortfall for adult probation is an additional $17.2 million. 

IPCSA cannot support this legislation until these costs are addressed in advance.

Contact:  John McCabe, IPCSA Director of Government Affairs, 312-543-0644.