Teamster Bill to Protect County Workers Becomes Law

Legislation Raises Stakes for Assault of Juvenile Detention Counselors

Attacks on Teamsters working in Illinois’ juvenile detention centers are now classified and charged as aggravated assaults, thanks to new legislation drafted and supported by Teamsters Joint Council 25.

By overwhelmingly passing Senate Bill 1754, the Illinois General Assembly this spring effectively reclassified offenses against any employee of juvenile detention facilities statewide. Teamsters Local 700 represents more than 300 members at the Cook County and Will County Juvenile Detention Centers. Residents at these locations are directly subjected to the legislation, which officially amplified the consequences of assault on July 28, 2011.

“The Teamsters have the utmost confidence that the new law will help prevent criminal activity inside these facilities and enable our members to help thousands of at-risk youth,” said John T. Coli, President of Teamsters Joint Council 25 and Trustee of Local 700. “We applaud the state legislature for unanimously joining the Teamsters to bring peace of mind to these workers and juvenile counselors in the Chicago area.”

Sponsored by state Sen. John Mulroe, Senate Bill 1754 amends the Criminal Code to protect juvenile detention center employees against assault, allowing them to receive the same classification as corrections and probation officers. In Illinois, aggravated assault charges carry maximum penalties of up to three years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

“Currently, juvenile detention center workers are assaulted an average of four times per week,” said William P. Logan, Local 700 Assistant Trustee. “This security measure will provide that extra level of protection these committed counselors desperately deserve. Without their care and attention, the youth they serve would otherwise be incarcerated in a county jail or state prison.”

The Cook County and Will County Juvenile Detention Centers temporarily house youth from ages 10-16, awaiting adjudication of their cases by the courts. The centers also provide care for youth who have been transferred from juvenile court jurisdiction to criminal court.

Teamsters Local 700 is an affiliate of Teamsters Joint Council 25, which represents more than 100,000 hardworking men and women throughout Illinois and Indiana.

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