By Illinois General Assembly, July 31, 2026
Illinois enacted HB4639, Public Act 104-0668, on July 31, with an effective date of January 1, 2027. The measure changes the Juvenile Court Act to permit courts or prosecutors to establish community mediation programs and requires consideration of restorative practices before sentencing in covered juvenile delinquency cases. The statute contemplates conferences or circles intended to address harm, trauma and community relationships; participation remains voluntary, and resulting agreements must contain reasonable and proportionate obligations. The law is noteworthy because it translates restorative-justice principles into a formal juvenile-court process rather than leaving them solely to individual programs. It also provides a concrete example of state-level experimentation with alternatives to conventional sentencing.
https://www.ilga.gov/ftp/legislation/104/BillStatus/HTML/10400HB4639.html