According to this CBS Chicago news story from March 13, a proposed bill in Chicago--the Youth Opportunity and Fairness Act--could make it easier for youth and teens with delinquency charges on their record to have those charges expunged. Currently, in Illinois, only 3 out of every 1,000 teens is able to get their record expunged. The process is time-consuming, arduous, and filled with red tape. These charges can have significant impacts on their futures. The charges can make it very difficult to find jobs, get approval for housing, and obtain and education. Additionally, the proposed bill would limit the unlawful and broad sharing of juvenile records. The proposed changes would bring Illinois standards in line with best practice recommendations for confidentiality and expungement put forth by the American Bar Association, including the automatic expunging of records of juvenile delinquency two years after the case is close.
Fielding, L. (2017, March 13). Proposed bill looks to reform juvenile justice system. CBS Chicago. Retrieved from http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/03/13/proposed-bill-looks-to-reform-juvenile-justice-system/
Wow, only 3 out of every 1000 teens are able to get their records expunged! I never realized that it is so hard that so few youth successfully go through this process.
ReplyDeleteIt is also interesting that it is recommended best practice however the state is just now creating a bill that would implement this best practice.
I did not realize it was this difficult to get records expunged. The system makes it sound so simple yet this makes much more sense - that it would be a difficult process. It's very disheartening yet this step puts a little more faith back into local government's ability to realize the importance of caring for their youth and next generation.
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