Juveniles under the age of 18 who have committed:

• a delinquent act

• a criminal offense

• and/or who have been chronically truant from school can be referred to this program

No. Youth do not have to be arrested prior to making a referral to Teen Justice.  If the youth has already been arrested, we still encourage everyone to complete the referral inquiry.  

Anyone residing in Macon County, IL can refer a youth to Teen Justice as long as the youth also resides within Macon County.

Law Enforcement, Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office, Community-based programs, Social Service Agencies, School districts, Macon-Piatt Regional Office of Education #39, and concerned parents within the community have all made referrals to Teen Justice.  

All participants enroll for a minimum of 3 months. The program length is determined through a collaborative process involving the youth, parents, and other relevant parties or agencies involved in the intake and care planning.  

If you don’t show up and you were referred, you should call the office to speak with Teen Justice Staff at 217-424-1400 or email the Case Manager at teenjustice@sa-macon-il.us within one week (7 days), otherwise your case will be closed and referred back to the original referral source for further notice.  

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Teen Justice intake meetings and support circles are held virtually (via zoom or other platforms) to ensure that people and families can stay as safe as possible during these times. All virtual meetings are set up by the Case Manager.

The Case Manager coordinates intake meetings and assessments for all participants. Program participants are assessed to gain a better understanding of the participants’ likelihood to reoffend, the participants’ needs, and how likely the participant is to respond to any treatment or services recommended by the support circle. Next, the Case Manager coordinates meetings between program participants, harmed parties, support services, social services, school district personnel, family members, and any other relevant parties specific to each case.  

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The (restorative) support circle focuses on harm caused to harmed parties, building or repairing relationships between parties and program participants, and focuses on ways to repair harm caused by the actions of the participant.  

Every support circle creates an individual care plan for program participants. Support circles work with participants to maximize possibilities of successful completion of care plans and the program overall.

No. This is not a spectator sport. Juvenile cases are confidential, and all participants must have prior approval from the Case Manager or Program Director to attend support circles.  

Adult and youth volunteers are always welcome! Please contact the Case Manager at 217-424-1400 or teenjustice@sa-macon-il.us for more information!

Yes, you can volunteer! To find out more, please call or email us at 217-424-1400 or teenjustice@sa-macon-il.us for more information!

Yes, Teen Justice operates 12 months out of the year with the exception of major holiday  and breaks per Millikin University’s annual schedule.