Judge George W. Timberlake, Chair of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, Honored as Champion for Change

Recognized at National Conference of MacArthur-supported Models for Change Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative

WASHINGTON, DC – Judge George W. Timberlake, a retired state judge and Chair of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission (IJJC), on Monday was named the 2014 recipient of the Champion for Change in State Leadership award.

The award was announced at the annual national conference of Models for Change, a juvenile justice reform initiative funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Timberlake was recognized for his work in reviving the IJJC, the federally mandated state advisory group to the governor and the Illinois General Assembly.  Before Timberlake was appointed Chair in 2010, the IJJC struggled to operate effectively.  Timberlake and a slate of new Commissioners – many drawn from the ranks of Illinois Models for Change leadership – transformed the volunteer panel into a leader of reform.

Under Timberlake’s stewardship, the IJJC changed the strategy for federal juvenile justice grant spending in Illinois, and the funds now support a range of state and local initiatives designed to produce data, foster local collaboration and support statewide system improvement.

The reinvigorated IJJC also has issued a series of research reports providing unprecedented and comprehensive analysis to policymakers, advocates and the public and prompting much-needed changes in state law and policy.

• The IJJC’s 2011 report on juvenile parole prompted the executive and legislative branches to support a statewide aftercare program for youth.

• In 2013, a report on raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction played a key role in the enactment of legislation removing 17-year-olds from adult court jurisdiction.

• In 2014, the IJJC published “Improving Illinois’ Response to Sexual Offenses Committed by Youth,” a report detailing the state’s draconian and ineffective responses to youth who have committed sex offenses.  Based on extensive research, data collection, file reviews and interviews with professionals, the report has provided legislators, policymakers and concerned citizens with a fact-based analysis of Illinois laws and has opened a debate about the state’s counter-productive sex offender registry.

Timberlake also has volunteered countless hours to Illinois Models for Change since it began in 2004 with five demonstration sites.

“Judge Timberlake’s contributions to the work of Models for Change has been invaluable,” said Diane Geraghty, Director of the Loyola Civitas ChildLaw Center, lead entity for Models for Change in Illinois. “His boundless energy, his credibility based on years of hands-on experience, and his deep commitment to Illinois’s children and families have catapulted him to national prominence as a spokesperson for fair and effective juvenile justice laws, policies and practices.”

Geraghty said Timberlake assisted each of the five demonstration sites through all phases of their work, providing expert technical assistance, encouragement and—when needed—holding local leaders accountable for the progress they had promised. His tireless support of local sites has yielded models of collaboration, diversion, data collection and use, case management and evidence based practice now being replicated in other communities across Illinois.

Timberlake, who also is a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice, was a trial court judge for 23 years prior to his 2006 retirement as Chief Judge of Illinois’ Second Circuit, which is comprised of 12 counties in southeastern Illinois. In addition to his volunteer service as a member of the Illinois Models for Change Coordinating Council, he is a member of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Leadership Council, the Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board, and the board of the Juvenile Justice Initiative, a statewide advocacy coalition.

A resident of Mt. Carmel, Illinois, Timberlake earned a bachelor’s degree and MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.

For more information about Models for Change, visit www.ModelsForChange.net.