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

increasing after 2001. Between 2001 and 2007, the number of youth on parole increased 46
percent from 1,462 in 2001 to 2,084 in 2007. Figure 25 depicts the number of youth on parole on
June 30 th of the fiscal year, by region, from FY97 to FY07. Of the 2,084 on parole in 2007, 35
percent were 13 to 16 years of age (719) and 65 percent were 17 years old or older (1,365).
Figure 25
th
Number of youth on parole/MSR on June 30 of the fiscal year, by region,
FY97-FY07
2,500
Number of youth on parole/MSR
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Fiscal year
Cook Northern Central Southern State
Source: ICJIA interpretation of Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice data
The juvenile parole population in the Southern counties experienced the greatest increase during
the ten years examined. Between FY97 and FY07, the parole population increased 174 percent
from 89 to 244. The Southern counties’ parole population also increased 62 percent from 113 in
FY02. Similarly, the parole population in Central Illinois counties more than doubled, from 302
in FY97 to 646 in FY07; and increased 42 percent from 454 in FY02. The parole population in
Northern Illinois counties outside of Cook County increased 32 percent from 322 in FY97 to 424
in FY07, and increased 5 percent from 405 in FY02. Cook County’s parole population increased
18 percent from 564 in FY97 to 666 in FY07, and increased 16 percent from 575 in FY02.
Recidivism
IDJJ reports youth recidivism rates as the percentage of youth who return to Illinois Youth
Center facilities within three years following their release. Youth who return to an adult IDOC
facility or receive any other sentence, such as probation, are not included in IDJJ’s youth
recidivism rate. In FY05, IDJJ reported the youth recidivism rate within three years of exiting an
IDJJ facility (FY02 release) as 48 percent. 29
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