Introduction The State Juvenile Bureau is entrusted with the tremendous responsibility of aligning practices with core values and ethics. Juvenile justice has maintained distinct principles and practices from the adult criminal justice system for good reason. Therefore, the State Juvenile Bureau remains committed to evidence-based practice, to the ethical treatment of our youth, and to forming strategic partnerships with community organizations in order to promote both civic pride and public safety. The decisions made by the State Juvenile Bureau directly impact the effectiveness of the bureau and all stakeholders in fulfilling obligations to the public, and achieving goals and objectives. A new model of organizational culture and change management, grounded in the principles of collaboration and accountability, will help increase organizational effectiveness within the State Juvenile Bureau.

Prevalent Culture

Current organizational culture within the Bureau does not preclude change, but resistance to change is evident. There are a plethora of divergent opinions on how the Bureau should be run, with pressures from all facets of the political spectrum. A strong “tough on crime” contingent remains vocal, while increasingly social workers, educators, parents, and advocacy groups with in the community have been equally as insistent on their voices being heard. Within the organization,...

Gradually the organizational culture has shifted, as younger generations of leaders recognize the value inherent in flatter structures with improved flow of communications and inter-group collaboration. The goal now is to solidify organizational change, aligning the culture of the Bureau with its overall mission and goals.
Aligning Decisions With Missions and Goals

The mission and goal of the State Juvenile Bureau is to blend the best interests of community youth with the primary goal of public safety. Within this challenging framework, aligning Bureau decisions can be difficult, particularly as outmoded practices continue to hamper efforts to change. The juvenile justice system remains the initial processing point for many youth whose deviance is a sign of underlying behavioral and mental health issues. Therefore, the goal of this Bureau is to pool resources with local and state mental health agencies to provide more robust treatment interventions that are developmentally appropriate for young offenders. To this end, alternatives to incarceration and addressing root causes align will be implemented (Cook County State’s Attorney, 2018). When possible, the decisions the Bureau’s leaders make will be done collaboratively, including input from parents or guardians,…