Youth in Crisis: Stop Civil Rights Violations against Vulnerable Students with Disabilities at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center and Its Alternative School

From the Executive Summary, developed by Equip for Equality: 

“The children in the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (“JTDC”) are some of the most vulnerable youth in Cook County, many having experienced significant trauma and violence as part of their daily existence. The JTDC is the juvenile jail for Cook County, housing youth awaiting adjudication of their cases, as well as youth who have been transferred from juvenile to adult jurisdiction and would otherwise be housed in an adult jail. The JTDC is perfectly situated to provide critical services to help steer these youth away from further court-involvement and into productive lives in the community. Tragically, not only is it failing in this regard, but it is often making this problem worse. Not providing appropriate educational and mental health supports and using excessive confinement and dangerous physical restraint practices all lead to further trauma, despair, and both physical and emotional injury. Unaddressed disabilities and inadequate services contribute to the system’s failure at rehabilitation. This is especially concerning since 30-50% of the youth at the JTDC at any given time have an Individualized Education Program (“IEP”) or 504 Plan. Reform is needed to transform the JTDC into a place where young lives are given positive direction and hope for a brighter future.  

From November 22, 2021, through January of 2023, Equip for Equality conducted site visits at the JTDC and Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative High School (“NBJ”), the alternative high school operated by Chicago Public Schools (“CPS”) within the JTDC. After more than 1,000 hours of observations, interviews, and examination of records, EFE identified significant failures in four primary categories: (1) special education services, (2) “behavioral modification” and discipline systems, (3) restraint practices, and (4) facility accessibility. If these problems remain unaddressed, there is little hope for rehabilitation of our most vulnerable youth in the JTDC.”