WREX-13 published an article over the weekend about a Rosecrance-affiliated recovery court for juvenile offenders with mental health or substance abuse issues.
The court system is designed to provide an alternative to jail and is presided by Judge Janet Holmgren, presiding judge of the Juvenile and Specialty Courts Division of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court.
From the WREX-13 article:
Experts know when some people commit crimes, the behavior can be out of those people’s control. Maybe substance abuse or mental illness are a problem.
It’s called Youth Recovery Court, a partnership with Rockford’s Rosecrance. Five young adults are eligible for the program now. There’s room for nearly 40. The idea began to take shape in 2011 when the county won a 250 thousand dollar federal grant. Supporters hope this meets a need for troubled kids in the community.
Youth have to have mental or substance abuse problems and non violent offenses to get into the program. Rosecrance staff will test potential participants to see if they’re good candidates for treatment.
Read the complete article on WREX.com here.