SPRINGFIELD, IL — GEO Reentry Services was selected by the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to open a new Day Reporting Center (DRC) for juveniles released to community supervision in Springfield. Located at 739 South 5th Street, the DRC opened in October and has a capacity of 20 juveniles. Program participants will report to the center regularly and work with GEO staff to complete treatment and training geared at reducing the risk of criminal behavior, strengthening positive community ties, and taking better advantage of the diverse opportunities available to them in the Springfield area.
The DJJ was created by statute in 2006 with the mandate of safely housing and rehabilitating youth committed to DJJ custody. The statute establishing DJJ envisions an agency that is restorative, learning and treatment focused, and that takes into account the developmental needs of the young people committed to its care. In recent years, the state has focused on transitioning juveniles from one of its several youth detention centers to community interventions, including day reporting programs. The state now funds DRCs for juveniles in Springfield, Champaign, Rockford, Peoria, Chicago and Belleville.
GEO Reentry also operates the Belleview DRC for juveniles.
The Springfield Juvenile DRC delivers evidence-based treatment, including techniques and classes proven to reduce recidivism. Participants are involved in a cognitive behavioral program developed to change criminal thinking, report on a schedule to the center, meet with case managers to develop a behavior change plan, and are monitored for drug and alcohol use. Center staff also assist the juvenile participants to seek employment, vocational training or educational opportunities.
For more information about the Springfield Juvenile DRC, contact Program Manager Ken Johnson at 618-482-5608.