Juvenile Justice System and Risk Factor Data - Illinois Criminal ...

screening after referral from a juvenile justice professional. The liaison then develops a treatment
plan and connects the youth to appropriate treatment services.
In 2006, the initiative removed detention as a requirement for eligibility. Referrals may come
from any juvenile justice contact, including probation officers, court officials, and court
services, within six months of a youth’s initial contact.
Data summary
The number of referrals made to MHJJI varied widely across counties, mostly due to issues of
eligibility. In FY07 the state recorded a 91 percent participation rate of the number of youth
screened and deemed eligible. Nine counties had 100 percent participation rates. Table 21
depicts participation numbers in MHJJI in FY07.
Table 21
Illinois Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Initiative participation, FY07
County
Number of Number
Number Number that
Percent eligible
referrals Screened eligible participated that participated
Adams 29 28 28 28 100.0%
Boone 70 64 58 58 100.0%
Champaign 63 50 20 12 60.0%
Cook 261 182 179 180 100.6%
DuPage 19 18 18 21 116.7%
Franklin 131 24 19 18 94.7%
Kane 52 34 34 31 91.2%
Knox 49 25 25 16 64.0%
Lake 107 77 76
74 97.4%
LaSalle 35 27 27 27 100.0%
McLean 66 54 49 35 71.4%
Macon 61 45 41 32 78.0%
Madison 119 111 53 27 50.9%
Peoria 71 41 42 43 102.4%
St. Clair 60 42 42 42 100.0%
Sangamon 75 38 27 21 77.8%
Vermilion 32 32 32 32 100.0%
Will 19 14 14 18 128.6%
Total 1,319 906 784 715 91.2%
Adapted from Lyons, John S., et al., The Mental Health/Juvenile Justice Program of the Illinois Department of Human Services,
Division of Mental Health: Annual Evaluation Results Fiscal Year 2007, Chicago, IL: Northwestern University, Mental Health
Services & Policy Program, 2007.
An evaluation of the initiative revealed that participants have lower rates of recidivism compared
to detained youth who do not receive mental health treatment. Recidivism was defined by the
rate at which youth detained are re-arrested. The study showed 27 percent of participants were
rearrested in FY05, and 28 percent were rearrested in FY06, while non-participants had a 72
percent recidivism rate. 36 83