Quinn Names Child Welfare Vet to Head up Youth Prisons

Quinn Names Child Welfare Vet to Head up Youth Prisons

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Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is naming a deputy director from the state’s child welfare agency to head up the youth prisons.

Quinn is naming Arthur Bishop to take over the department of juvenile justice. Bishop’s background is in human services as opposed to law enforcement or corrections. In addition to his 15 years with DCFS, Bishop spent 6 years working at the Bobby E. Wright Comprehensive Community Mental Health Center. Quinn says he’s reforming the juvenile justice system to focus more on treatment.

QUINN: The overwhelming majority of young people in detention are struggling with the effects of childhood mistreatment and they would benefit from a system that understands that trauma often can lead to difficult situations and we must relieve the trauma.

Quinn is folding the youth prison system into the much larger DCFS which already treats thousands of kids. Bishop takes over on August first.