A justice system that's fair for both minors and adults shares the important principles of being "proportionate and individualized" for each individual, said Clark.

Among the reforms supported by JJI are an end to the automatic transfer of youths 16 or older for certain offenses, a ban on detention of children under 13 and raising the age of juvenile court from 17 to 21 for all offenders.

Illinois, like many states and the federal government, has seen bipartisan support for criminal justice reform. Last week, the Senate passed new federal legislation hailed as sweeping reform aimed at giving judges more discretion in sentencing some drug offenders and boosting prisoner rehabilitation efforts.

Measures to divert people from incarceration equate to cost savings as prison populations are reduced, according to views now endorsed by conservatives and liberal advocacy groups.

The 2017 recommendations from Gov. Bruce Rauner's Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reforms include several reductions in sentence classifications and other measures that could lower the number of people entering state prisons. So far, nine of the 25 recommendations have been adopted through changes in policy or state law and work has begun to implement nine other recommendations.