1. Court-involved Girls Advocates Group: In our efforts to reform policies (and improve services) governing the fragmented systems in which girls are involved, Health & Medicine regularly convenes an advocacy group of policymakers, city and state officials, civil rights organizations, direct caregivers, academicians, court officers and staff, and health and community organizations.

• This multidisciplinary (cross-agency) Court-Involved Girls Advocates Group completed a year of deliberations culminating in the development of a healthcare “agenda” for the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (CCJTDC) and the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice.

• Each set of recommendations is founded on the core principles of rehabilitation—treating the complex and varied needs of female adolescent offenders within a safe and supportive environment, with particular attention to the psychological impacts of violence and trauma on physical and mental health. Read Our Policy Recommendations

2. Current Partnerships

• Music Theater Workshop

• Chicago Foundation for Women “Anti-Violence” Initiative

3. Research:

• Health-issues of court-involved girls:

• Violence and trauma

• HIV/AIDS

• Other: Link between trauma and incarceration