Juvenile Justice

With support from the Illinois Arts Council, the McLean County Juvenile Detention Center has added two murals to areas frequented by youths held in pretrial detention. Staff say adding color to the walls is a small thing, but can make a big difference in the lives of youth staying in the facility.

Kevin Jones and Suzanne Montoya wrote about a collaboration with Rev. Brigitte Black and the Bloomington chapter of Not in Our Town implementing listening circles in 2020. Their chapter is part of an anthology edited by a former Ford County probation director.

The new law brings reform to the state's public defense system for the first time in decades. Public defenders play an outsized role in juvenile and child welfare courts.

Certain risk factors raise the likelihood of violent behavior among individuals. But it’s not perfectly cut and dry.

Plaintiffs filed for class action status Wednesday. They say Illinois has been violating state and federal law for nearly 20 years.

Since May, 667 people have joined lawsuits alleging sexual abuse in juvenile detention centers across the state, according to attorneys.

Police in Normal have booked a juvenile male for attempted murder in connection with a Thursday afternoon shooting on Shelbourne Drive. An adult man was hit by the gunfire, but does not have life-threatening injuries.

Retired Chief Circuit Judge Beth Robb knew she wanted to be a lawyer as early as Junior High School in Macomb. It wasn't easy. She went to Illinois Wesleyan University and on to law school, then came back to Bloomington-Normal and couldn’t get a job

The Bloomington teen faces four counts of first-degree murder for the death of 19-year-old Nicholas Zapata of Normal.