Juvenile Justice Collaborative Led by Lurie Children’s Achieves Strong Outcomes for Youth, Study Finds

Recognized by American Hospital Association for commitment to improve community health

The Juvenile Justice Collaborative (JJC), an innovative community-driven deferred prosecution initiative led by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, is recognized with the 2026 American Hospital Association (AHA) Dick Davidson NOVA Award. The JJC success in helping youth avoid deeper court involvement and prosecution, while lowering recidivism rates, was demonstrated by a recent evaluation study.

The AHA award recognizes hospitals for their collaborative efforts toward improving community health status, whether through healthcare, economic or social initiatives. This year’s recipients will be recognized at the AHA Healthier Together Conference May 12-14 in Dallas.

“We are deeply honored that the American Hospital Association recognized the crucial work of the JJC in addressing the root causes of youth involvement with the justice system, including the consequences of trauma, inadequate opportunity and unmet service needs,” said Karen Sheehan, MD, MPH, Medical Director of Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities at Lurie Children’s and Professor of Pediatrics, Medical Education and Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “The JJC is a highly collaborative program with a community leadership team that sets annual performance targets, reviews robust evaluation metrics and monitors and responds to community and youth feedback.”

“This recognition reflects the impact of strong partnerships and a shared commitment to supporting young people and families. We are proud of our collaboration with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and the meaningful progress the JJC Collaborative continues to make in our communities,” said Cook County Chief Judge Charles Beach II.

"This program shows what’s possible when we intervene early, provide young people support, and give them structure to succeed. Keeping youth with nonviolent offenses out of the criminal justice system makes our communities safer and can change lives for good. We look forward to continuing this important work with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and applaud the collaboration championed by this program," said Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke.

Youth (ages 12-18 years) who are charged with a non-violent felony or a serious misdemeanor and are first time offenders are referred to the JJC by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. The program matches participating youth with appropriate community-based services according to their individual goals and identified needs. These services address youth and family priorities, including transportation, housing, food access, and connections to mentoring, education and employment.

A recent study by Chapin Hall evaluated outcomes for 144 youth referred to the JJC between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.

Key Findings:

• High Engagement and Connection to Services: Of the 144 youth referred in the first year, 97% completed intake and 99% were successfully connected to community-based services such as outpatient mental health, mentoring, and employment support. 
• Clear success in avoiding court involvement: Over 85% of participants graduated from the program, and 89% had their charges dropped—avoiding 125 prosecutions. 
• Lower recidivism than traditional system responses that involve punitive approaches: Only 18% of program youth picked up a new charge within 12 months, compared to 28% in a matched comparison group, representing a 44% lower odds of reoffending. 
• Positive Youth Experience: Youth interviewed expressed the importance of encouragement and positive reinforcement experienced in the program in helping them view themselves as “a person and not a criminal” and moving past their mistakes toward a brighter future. 

The evaluation study was funded by the Office of the Chief Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County through a subaward with Lurie Children’s.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is a nonprofit organization committed to providing access to exceptional care for every child. It is the only independent, research-driven children’s hospital in Illinois and one of less than 35 nationally. This is where the top doctors go to train, practice pediatric medicine, teach, advocate, research and stay up to date on the latest treatments. Exclusively focused on children, all Lurie Children’s resources are devoted to serving their needs. The Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities, made possible through generous philanthropy, serves as the center for all community-focused programs at Lurie Children’s. Research at Lurie Children’s is conducted through Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, which is focused on improving child health, transforming pediatric medicine and ensuring healthier futures through the relentless pursuit of knowledge. Lurie Children’s is the pediatric training ground for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. It is ranked as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.