Illinois Youth Center Warrenville

Illinois Youth Center-Warrenville is a juvenile female correctional facility with a capacity of 86 and a current average population of 103 youth. IYC-Warrenville is a maximum-security facility, which also serves as a reception, assessment and residential program for the juvenile female population committed to the Illinois Department of Corrections. It was the first co-ed training school in the U.S. accredited by the American Correctional Association. The center was designed, built and paid for in 1973 by Standard Oil Company of Indiana at no cost to the State of Illinois. The 30-acre complex is located 35 miles west of Chicago, just off the East-West Tollway.

IYC-Warrenville serves a juvenile female population with multi-service needs. The center provides GED and high school diploma academic services, an in-patient substance abuse treatment program, vocational programs, mental health services, medical services, clinical services, leisure time activities, parenting education, assessments and family reunification programming. The average age of the juvenile females at the center is 16.3 years.

Highlights

The center had several accomplishments during FY 2003. One accomplishment was the development and implementation of a new program called FOCUS (Female Offenders and Children Uniting Safely). The FOCUS program is a program consisting of four components, which emphasizes pregnancy education, parenting education, child development and life skills enhancement for juvenile females. The FOCUS program received national attention for its cutting edge approach in addressing juvenile female offender issues in the December 2002 newsletter of the Association on Programs for Female Offenders.

Another accomplishment worth highlighting is the revamping of the center's staff development and training initiative. Staff development and training were enhanced to promote cross training among the various departments within the center. While continuing to address safety and security priorities, training was enhanced to address juvenile female gender specific needs, mental health development and treatment and adolescent behavior issues. Approaches to quickly identify and de-escalate negative behaviors with the youth before situations escalated to major issues are emphasized. Staff training was revamped to encourage discussion, exchanging of ideas and open the channels of communication between staff within the various departments of the center. This approach has enabled the center's departments to work better collectively toward meeting the total needs of the juvenile female offender.

A third accomplishment is the implementation of approximately $2.5 million in renovations to the center's main building and its grounds. These renovations include a remodeling of the main building to include a state-of-the-art control center, a refurbished Medical Unit, an infirmary, a Dental Unit, an enhanced visiting room, staff offices and an improved activity center for the youths.

Renovations also include replacement of all security doors and locks on three of the residential units and the main building. Plumbing renovations were also enhanced through the replacement of sanitary lines to each of the residential living units. Facility perimeter lighting was greatly improved by replacing antiquated underground wiring and adding additional light poles throughout the center's perimeter.

Reducing Recidivism

The center has two programs that have been instrumental in reducing recidivism rates. First is the Wells Center Substance Abuse Treatment Program. Many juvenile females enter the facility with substance abuse issues. Services in this program are designed to educate juvenile females about the effects of substances on the body and mind. Through the joint efforts of the Wells Center and correctional staff, the juvenile females are provided an environment conducive to positive growth and change. Every effort is made to provide comprehensive services to ensure that the juvenile females return to the community educated and substance free. The recidivism rate for juvenile females who completed the Wells Center program was 28 percent during FY 2003.

Second is the FOCUS program. This program emphasizes a proactive educational approach toward parenting, the adolescent's personal development and prevention of future problems. To this end, the program provides education and support that can enhance effective functioning as a parent and foster a sense of personal self-sufficiency and empowerment. The program provides resources and support to assist the juvenile female in fulfilling her parental responsibilities and increasing her sense of self-worth and control. With the information and skills, the hope is that the juvenile female will be able to fulfill her responsibilities and be successful in the community. The success rate for juvenile females who have participated in the FOCUS program and had not returned as parole violators was 80 percent during FY 2003.

Security Initiatives

During FY 2003, the center received a significant increase in felony commitments compared to FY 2002. An increase in assault crimes and violent offenses by juvenile female offenders has required greater awareness of security measures by all staff at the center. As a result, extreme and high escape youth classification risks have increased. To meet this challenge, the center has implemented tight security measures to control youth movement. All juvenile female offenders designated as extreme escape risks are placed in full security restraints when escorted outside of their designated residential living unit or from the main building. This tough approach has reduced youth conversations about plotting escape attempts.

Another security initiative has been to enhance training to security staff working with a diverse population. As a Level 1 maximum security and reception and classification center, the juvenile female offender population remains diverse with multiple programmatic needs. More than half of the population at the center requires psychotropic medication for mental health illnesses. Housing youth with diagnosed mental health disorders, along with youth suffering with behavioral disorders and pregnant juvenile female offenders, has proven to be a challenging task.

Each group, while having some common needs, also has distinct and specialized needs. As a result, a greater emphasis has been placed on cross training between the Security Department and the Mental Health Department to better educate and develop an understanding of the diverse needs of the juvenile female offender. This initiative has increased communication and understanding between the two departments and their ability to work collaboratively in meeting the needs of the juvenile females at the center.

Fiscal Responsibility and Budgetary Compliance

Due to budgetary constraints in FY 2003, the center continued the trend it set in FY 2002 in minimizing its overtime expenditures by streamlining positions and work assignments. The center better monitored transportation by coordinating scheduled trips with parole violator pickups. Room assignments were closely monitored allowing for cottages to be closed during times when population numbers were low. As a result of close monitoring, the center's overtime expenditure for FY 2003 was $404,000, which remained below the center's five-year average of $455,000.

Indicator Reports

There was a 9 percent decrease in commitments to the center as compared to FY 2002. During FY 2003, the center also had a 100 percent GED graduation rate.

Due to innovative security initiatives, during the last six months of FY 2003, there was a 44 percent reduction in staff assaults compared to the previous six months. Chemical agent was used twice to combat aggressive youth behavior despite the significant increase in felony commitments. There were no attempted escapes at the center and vehicle searches increased by 68 percent during FY 2003 from FY 2002.

In addition, no employees tested positive for illegal substances during FY 2003 and no youths tested positive for illegal substances while incarcerated at IYC-Warrenville during FY 2003. Also, there have been no serious youth suicide attempts for the last three years.

New Technology and Automated Enhancements

During FY 2003, the center implemented phase one of its video surveillance system upgrade project. Phase one of this project included the installation of a digital video surveillance system throughout the main building of the facility. This included adding video cameras to the library, gymnasium, hallways, Dietary Unit, visitor's room and outside walkways to the classrooms.

This new system has allowed for tighter security monitoring of youth movement during school hours, evening activities, meals and between buildings. The enhanced surveillance system has led to a decrease in youth allegations against staff, fewer staff assaults and greater accountability for youth misconduct.

The center has also initiated an upgrade to its computer network system by adding new terminals at several locations within the academic, clinical and treatment unit departments. Older computer units have been replaced with new units and software upgrades have been installed throughout the facility's network system. These improvements have increased the facility's ability to gather vital information and input additional data into the Juvenile Tracking System database. This added information improves tracking abilities for identification of trends and behavior based on housing assignments.

Conclusion

IYC-Warrenville employees have continued to meet the challenges given them during the budgetary problems of FY 2003. Despite shortages in staffing, limited resources and budgetary cutbacks, staff has pulled together to collectively meet the demands of a changing and more aggressive juvenile female population. While the demand to do more with less has continued, staff has ensured security awareness and programming initiatives have remained at the top of the priority list for the juvenile female population. The center's staff has demonstrated what dedication and commitment are all about in working with the youth during these lean times.