Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is allowing WBEZ to document life inside the state’s juvenile prisons. The permission resolves months of haggling over the issue.

WBEZ requested the access to see if the Department of Juvenile Justice is living up to its mission. The department was created three and a half years ago to help rehabilitate kids but critics say little has changed.

Quinn had originally denied our requests to visit the facilities but several attorneys on the governor’s staff recently sat down with WBEZ and a civil rights attorney, Craig Futterman, from the University of Chicago’s Mandel Legal Aid Clinic. Futterman has been volunteering his services as WBEZ has been seeking access.

In the meeting, the governor’s general counsel expressed concern for protecting the identities of children but agreed that WBEZ would be allowed inside the facilities. Attorney Beth Compton from the Department of Juvenile Justice is going to help facilitate the reporting. Over the last few months she’s been working closely with the station on numerous requests for information.