Criminal Justice (Juvenile Justice)

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Changes all references in the General Provisions Article and the Abused, Neglected or Dependent Minors Article of the Act from "reasonable efforts" to "active efforts" in cases that involve reunification by the Department of Children and Family Services. Defines "active efforts" as efforts that are affirmative, active, thorough, timely and intended to maintain or reunite a child with the child's family and represent a higher standard of conduct than reasonable efforts. Provides that "active efforts" includes the provision of reasonable efforts as required by Title IV-E of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 670 through 679c). In the court review provisions, provides that if the court makes findings that the Department of Children and Family Services has failed to make active efforts to provide services as provided in the service plan, the court's order shall specify each party that failure applies to and the applicable time period. Amends the Adoption Act. Provides that a person shall not be considered an unfit person for the sole reason that the Department of Children and Family Services or its assign has been found to have not made active efforts as defined in the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 during any period during the pendency of the case at hand. Provides that a parent shall not be found unfit for failure to make reasonable efforts or reasonable progress for any 9-month period during which a court, hearing a case under the Abused, Neglected or Dependent Minors Article of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, found that the Department failed to make active efforts, as defined in the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 with respect to that parent. Provides that this provision applies to findings of failure to make active efforts made on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act.

Amends the State Finance Act. Modifies the allocation of moneys from the Cannabis Regulation Fund. Provides that, of the 8% of funds transferred to the Local Government Distributive Fund, 2% shall be used to fund law enforcement training programs that include (i) the use of de-escalation techniques to prevent or reduce the need for force whenever safe and feasible, (ii) specific training on officer safety techniques including cover, concealment, and time, and (iii) training focused on high risk traffic stops; 2% shall be used for the purchase of body cameras; 2% shall be for law enforcement to use at their discretion; 1% shall be allocated to counties for costs associated with pretrial services; and 1% shall be allocated to counties for costs associated with juvenile expungements.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that a minor found to be guilty may be committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice if the minor is at least 14 (rather than 13) years and under 20 years of age, provided that the commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice shall be made only if the minor was found guilty of a felony offense or first degree murder. Provides that when a minor of the age of at least 14 (rather than 13) years is adjudged delinquent for the offense of first degree murder, the court shall declare the minor a ward of the court and order the minor committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice until the minor's 21st birthday, without the possibility of aftercare release, furlough, or nonemergency authorized absence for a period of 5 years from the date the minor was committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that on or after July 1, 2026 and before July 1, 2027, any minor 12 years of age or older arrested pursuant to the Act if there is probable cause to believe that the minor is a delinquent minor and that secure custody is a matter of immediate and urgent necessity, in light of a serious threat to the physical safety of a person or persons in the community or in order to secure the presence of the minor at the next hearing, as evidenced by a demonstrable record of willful failure to appear at a scheduled court hearing within the past 12 months, may be kept or detained in an authorized detention facility. Provides that on or after July 1, 2027, minors age 12 years of age and under 13 years of age and charged with first degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated battery in which a firearm was used in the offense, or aggravated vehicular hijacking, may be kept or detained in an authorized detention facility. Provides that no minor under 13 (rather than under 12) years of age shall be detained in a county jail or a municipal lockup for more than 6 hours. Provides that instead of detention, minors under the age of 13 who are in conflict with the law may be held accountable through a petition under the Minors Requiring Authoritative Intervention Article of the Act, or may be held accountable through a community mediation program.

Amends the Court of Claims Act. Provides that the Court of Claims has exclusive jurisdiction to hear all claims against the State for time unjustly served in State prisons, in county jails, on parole, on intensive supervised probation, or registered as a sex offender if the person was unjustly convicted and received a pardon from the Governor on the ground of innocence of the crime for which the person was convicted or the person received a certificate of innocence. Removes language providing the amount of the award the court may give for a successful claim. Provides instead that the court shall make an award of $50,000 per year during which the person was wrongfully incarcerated and $25,000 for each year during which the person was wrongfully on parole, wrongfully on intensive supervised probation, or wrongfully required to register as a sex offender. Provides that the changes made by the amendatory Act apply to claims pending or filed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Allows any person who is convicted or adjudicated a delinquent and then serves any part of a sentence of incarceration in a State prison, in a county jail, on parole, on intensive supervised probation, or registered as a sex offender (rather than convicted and subsequently imprisoned) for one or more felonies by the State that the person did not commit may file a petition for certificate of innocence. Requires the court to make an award of reasonable attorney's fees, costs, and expenses after awarding a certificate of innocence. Provides that any person seeking a certificate of innocence based on the dismissal of a juvenile delinquency petition or an acquittal that occurred before the effective date of the amendatory Act shall file a petition within 4 years after the effective date of the amendatory Act, and any person seeking a certificate of innocence based on the dismissal of a juvenile delinquency petition or an acquittal that occurred on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall file a petition within 2 years after the dismissal or acquittal. Effective immediately.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Defines a guardian ad litem as either (i) an attorney licensed in Illinois to practice law; or (ii) a person who holds at a minimum a bachelor's degree in psychology, psychiatry, social work, education, or any other relevant child-related discipline involving determining a child's best interests. Provides that a guardian ad litem must receive training to ensure the guardian ad litem has a fundamental working knowledge of abuser tactics and its effects on children in domestic violence cases as ordered by the Supreme Court. Requires a guardian ad litem to meet with a child who has been exposed to domestic violence in an age-appropriate manner for at least an hour before the issuance of any judicial decision affecting the parental rights of the child and to meet with the child for at least an hour every 3 months and provide a written update to the court at least every 6 months. Amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act to make conforming changes.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides that when a minor of the age of at least 13 years is adjudged delinquent for an offense involving the illegal use or possession of a firearm in which the firearm was discharged in the commission of the offense, the court shall declare the minor a ward of the court and order the minor committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice until the minor's 21st birthday, without the possibility of aftercare release, furlough, or non-emergency authorized absence for a period of 5 years from the date the minor was committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice, except that the time that a minor spent in custody for the instant offense before being committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice shall be considered as time credited towards that 5-year period. Provides that upon release from a Department facility, a minor adjudged delinquent for an offense involving the illegal use or possession of a firearm in which the firearm was discharged in the commission of the offense shall be placed on aftercare release until the age of 21, unless sooner discharged from aftercare release or custodianship is otherwise terminated in accordance with the Act or as otherwise provided for by law.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Creates the Department of Corrections Independent Ombudsperson Law. Provides that the Corrections Oversight Committee shall appoint the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson. Provides that the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson shall serve a term of 6 years and may be only removed from office by the Governor for cause. Provides that the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson shall not be a current or former employee of the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, or a contractor for those departments. Establishes the duties of the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson. Provides that the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson shall: (1) monitor and inspect facilities of the Department of Corrections; (2) investigate unresolved complaints from committed persons, their families, and corrections staff regarding correctional facility conditions and treatment of committed persons; (3) create a uniform reporting system and collect and analyze data related to deaths, suicides, sexual and physical assaults, lockdowns, staff vacancies and committed persons-to-staff ratios, visits to committed persons, and use of solitary confinement in correctional facilities; (4) conduct regular inspections of correctional facilities at least once every year for facilities not meeting standards, and at least once every 36 months for facilities that are meeting standards; and (5) publicly issue periodic facility inspection reports and an annual report with recommendations and a summary of data. Establishes other duties of the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson. Provides that the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson shall report regularly on its activities, investigations, and inspections, including an annual report, which shall be presented to and discussed at a meeting of the Corrections Oversight Committee and make other reports on topics of special interest. Provides that all reports of the Independent Corrections Ombudsperson shall be made available to the public online and provided to the Director of Corrections, the Governor, the Attorney General, and the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Makes technical changes in a provision that states if the minor is in the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, pursuant to an order entered under the Delinquent Minors Article of the Act, the court shall conduct permanency hearings as set out in the court review provisions of the Abused, Neglected, or Dependent Minors Article of the Act.

Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections shall immediately discharge from their employment: (1) any Department employee against whom a conviction is entered on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act for an offense of unauthorized bringing of contraband into a penal institution by an employee; unauthorized possessing of contraband in a penal institution by an employee; or unauthorized delivery of contraband in a penal institution by an employee; or (2) any Department employee who, on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act is determined by the respective Department to have violated the Department policy prohibiting: (A) facilitating the bringing or delivering of an item of contraband into a Department facility; (B) bringing or delivering an item of contraband into a Department facility; or (C) possessing an item of contraband in a Department facility. Provides that any employee discharged for a violation of these provisions shall not be eligible to be rehired by either the Department of Juvenile Justice or the Department of Corrections. Defines various terms. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Police Training Act. Includes, in the minimum curriculum for police training schools, training in investigating domestic minor sex trafficking. Amends the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Provides that a child shall be considered abused regardless of the perpetrator of the abuse if the child is a human trafficking victim. Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Provides for immediate expungement of juvenile court and law enforcement records of minors who are human trafficking victims involved in prostitution. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Deletes a provision that provides that commercial sexual activity and sexually-explicit performances are forms of activities that are "services" under the human trafficking statute. Provides that involuntary sexual servitude of a minor includes purchasing sexual services of the minor whether from the trafficker or minor. Provides that it is not a defense to involuntary sexual servitude of a minor that the accused reasonably believed the trafficking victim to be 18 years of age or over. Eliminates other mistake of age defenses concerning grooming and patronizing a minor engaged in prostitution. Provides that a person who is a victim of involuntary sexual servitude of a minor is deemed a crime victim and is eligible for protections afforded to crime victims. Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963 to permit a motion to vacate an adjudication of delinquency of a human trafficking victim who engaged in prostitution. Amends the Sex Offender Registration Act. Makes violations concerning trafficking in persons, involuntary servitude, and related offenses registrable offenses under the Act. Amends the Crime Victims Compensation Act to provide that a trafficking victim who is under 18 years of age is not subject to the filing requirements of the Act and is not subject to the eligibility requirements of the Act.