On The 21st: Is Illinois meeting its goal in terms of testing newborns for the devastating neurological condition known as Krabbe disease? Plus, we learn why critics say a southern Illinois juvenile justice facility has become “a pipeline to prison,” and we hear about a Rockford family’s recently uncovered WWII story.
The state still doesn’t have a budget. A stopgap spending plan, which was approved over the summer, will end on January 1, leaving social service agencies, institutions of higher education and others in the lurch. But, in the past year, legislators did approve hundreds of pieces of legislation, which the governor signed. Nearly 200 laws will go into effect at the start of the new year — close to the number that went into effect at the start of each of the past three years.
A youthful mistake could be a burden for life, according to a study released Thursday by the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission.
Illinois State Senator Patricia Van Pelt, D-Chicago, is sponsoring legislation to expand protections for teenagers accused of murder. She says they can't make the legal decisions required to waive legal rights.
On Friday, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice announced it plans to close the youth correctional facility in Kewanee by July first. The Juvenile Justice department says the closing would save the state about 14 million dollars, improve rehabilitation for young offenders, and improve community safety. It will also eliminate 200 jobs.
