Reimagining Youth Detention (RYD)

RYD was formed in 2022 in response to challenging conditions in the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC). The initiative seeks to develop community-based solutions that would divert youth from the JTDC and assess and meet their immediate needs in trauma-informed settings.  

RYD pursues these goals through two key means: (1) a trauma-informed Assessment Center providing wraparound assessments of youth needs after arrest, and (2) community-based centers of care (secure and non-secure) where youth can be sent pre-adjudication to receive supportive services and avoid staying at the JTDC.

Research Questions

• What factors brought about the Reimagine Youth Detention Initiative?  
• What are the strengths, challenges, and opportunities in the planning and implementation process of the RYD Initiative?  
• Who are the key collaborators involved in the Initiative? To what extent are stakeholders engaged in this effort at different points in the planning process?
• What are the intended impacts of the RYD Initiative/Continuum of Care?