Prevention Reduces Juvenile Crime, Says Assistant State's Attorney

When it comes to juvenile crime in the Southland community, an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure.

That was the message that Assistant State's Attorney Kathleen Bankhead and Gailyn Thomas delivered to the Homewood Area League of Women Voters at the Tuesday night.

"After care" to help youth offenders

Thomas, of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, described a new "after care" program which will expand services to paroled youth in an effort to stop them from returning to prison.

"This will engage families, protect public safety and hold youth accountable for their actions," Thomas said.

By identifying youth offenders needs for vocational training or counseling, odds improve that they will not become career criminals, according to Thomas.

Bankhead said, initially, she was targeted wholly on getting offenders into prison, not concerning herself with what would happen with their sentences ran out.

"When I was prosecuting cases in Markham, I had a ball," recalled Bankhead. "I loved it."  

At the time, she believed getting a specific criminal off the streets and behind bars would make the community safer. However, incarceration only works "for about two years," according to Bankhead.

Prevention, not punishment 

Examining juvenile crimes led Bankhead to a "paradigm shift" emphasizing prevention, not punishment, as a pathway to safer communities, she said.

In a similar fashion, the Cook County State's Attorney's office is using its three community justice centers to aid in problem solving. They want to focus on local crime prevention in addition to the prosecution of local crimes.

Youth on youth crime is a compound tragedy, said Bankhead, citing the beating death of 16-year-old Fenger High School student Derrion Albert.

"When the verdict was read in the courtroom, the victim's family did not jump up and down for joy," Bankhead said.

Instead, the sentencing of Silvonius Shannon, 20, meant "that another mother lost her son," according to Bankhead.

"Disportionate minority contact"

Justice also means asking hard questions about "disportionate minority contact," or the discussion of why members of racial minority groups are more likely to be incarcerated than whites, Bankhead said.  

For instance, Blackhawks star Patrick Kane, charged with felony robbery after beating a Buffalo, New York cab driver over 20 cents, got off with a mandated-apology, yet, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick did prison time for illegal dog-fighting, noted Bankhead.

"When I talk about restorative justice, people always tell about being soft on crime," commented Bankhead. "In some communities, we are very protective of their (youths') futures."

The prosecution of drug crimes can also be inconsistent.

For example, drug offenses are often handled by "municipal tickets," according to Bankhead.

"A, it's a big money maker, and B, it's a big money maker," Bankhead said. "In Chicago Heights, if you have less than 30 grams of marijuana, that's a municipal ticket. Thirty grams is a lot of marijuana."

The talks by Thomas and Bankhead appeared well-received by the audience of around 30 people.

"The ladies are very articulate," Olympia Fields resident Joyce Grant, 70, said.

According to Grant, "... There are programs that are trying to deal with crime and youth in a more humane and balanced way."