Since 2002, Health & Medicine has worked to address the physical and mental health issues of court involved girls at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and in the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice through coalition building, education, and policy advocacy.  Health & Medicine’s Health of Court Involved Girls Project activities promoting girls’ health are broad-based, well-respected and influential forces for change.

Why focus on girls?

• Because research documents the pathway from victimization and trauma in the lives of girls to mental disorders, substance abuse, and court involvement and incarceration.

• Because more than half of incarcerated girls in Illinois have experienced physical or sexual abuse at least once in their lives, and more than 90% of the girls know the person who abused them.

• Because more than 2/3rds of female detainees at JTDC meet diagnostic criteria for one or more psychiatric disorders.

• Because rates of arrest and incarceration of girls, including girls ages 10-12, are increasing.

• Because girls’ distinct health needs have been ignored by the system.

The Goals of Health & Medicine’s Health of Court Involved Girls Project

• Empowering court involved girls to become advocates for their own physical, emotional, and mental health.

• Advocating for effective gender responsive and trauma informed policies, services and programming collaboratively developed by members of the target population, with the assistance and expertise of researchers, advocates, program leaders, service providers and community-based health and educational organizations.

Review Some of the Current Research and Literature

Court Involved Girls Advocates Group
To meet the goals of the Health of Court Involved Girls Project, Health & Medicine regularly convenes a group of policy makers, city and state officials, civil rights organizations, direct caregivers, academicians, court officers and staff, health and community organizations.  This multidisciplinary and cross-agency Court Involved Girls Advocates Group (Advocates Group) includes representatives from Music Theatre Workshop, the Chicago Department of Public Health, Cook County Juvenile Probation, Chicago Women’s Health Center, John Howard Association, ACLU-Illinois, Metropolis 2020, Mental Health America of Illinois, the Chicago Girls Coalition, the Child Care Association of Illinois, Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers, the North Lawndale Juvenile Justice Collaborative,  and the Cook County Juvenile Court, among others.