Transforming Cook County's Juvenile Detention

This chapter explores the urgent need for reform within the Cook County juvenile detention center, highlighting its dire conditions and the challenges faced by a transitional administrator. It details systemic issues such as overcrowding and understaffing, while emphasizing significant changes made in staffing and culture to create a more caring environment for detained youth. The chapter also discusses the struggle to sustain these reforms in the face of political and financial hurdles once federal oversight concludes.