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To: Governor JB Pritzker

Stop the Construction of an Illinois Youth Prison

Stop the development of IYC-Lincoln and close the final 5 youth prisons in Illinois.

Why is this important?

The Final 5 Campaign is dedicated to the closure of the final five youth prisons in Illinois. Should it be constructed, the Illinois Youth Center at Lincoln (IYC-Lincoln) would be one of six fully functioning youth prisons in Illinois for a current population of just 130 youth. The failure of these youth prisons - or “Illinois Youth Centers" as they are officially called - to provide care and respect to young people is unacceptable.

IYC-Lincoln is scheduled to be constructed at a state facility called Lincoln Development Center (LDC) - a facility that closed in 2002 after abuse and neglect, including preventable deaths, were reported. Despite the appalling history of LDC, and the fact that this is planned to be a locked-door, "secure" youth prison, advocates of its construction insist that it will be a "restorative" and "community-based" facility.

To claim that this prison would be community-based is misleading and appropriative of real community-based solutions. With so few youth currently incarcerated, we have an opportunity to build something uniquely transformative. Young people and families deserve resources in their own communities and an investment in non-carceral approaches to harm rooted in healing and restoration. Young people need space to make mistakes and grow without the threat of carceral violence, and resources the state invests in should be grounded in that understanding.

Help us hold the state of Illinois to a higher standard of care for young people. Sign our petition to #StopLDC and support us in pushing for the closure of the other 5 youth prisons in Illinois.

Illinois, USA

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Updates

2022-06-30 07:28:09 -0700

500 signatures reached

2021-06-27 19:34:13 -0700

100 signatures reached

2021-05-28 14:09:00 -0700

50 signatures reached

2021-05-16 06:23:44 -0700

25 signatures reached

2021-05-14 14:04:40 -0700

10 signatures reached