Justice-Involved Youth

Understanding the Challenge

Students who have been involved with the juvenile justice system often face chronic absenteeism due to the stigma associated with that involvement. Factors that can impact a successful return to school include:

• Whether the incident that resulted in justice involvement occurred off school grounds, or on school grounds
• The nature of the charge
• The relationship the student had with their peers and teachers before the incident
• The student's performance academically, behaviorally, and with attendance before the incident
• Who the victim or victims may be
• The manner in which the school welcomes the student back

Strategies & Supports

The Juvenile Justice (JJ) team provides a dedicated support system for students transitioning from the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) back to their schools. The team supports a re-engagement process that makes students who have been justice-involved feel welcomed, connected, and supported, while also preparing schools to successfully receive them.

All CPS students enrolled at Nancy B. Jefferson (NBJ), the CPS school inside JTDC, are automatically assigned to the Juvenile Justice team's caseload for the duration of the school year in which they attended NBJ.