Regional Detention Administrator

Position Overview:

The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) is seeking a motivated candidate to serve as the Regional Detention Administrator for the Cook County region. The ideal candidate for this role will possess previous experience with serving as an advocate for youth in detention by building trust, addressing concerns, and promoting systemic improvements that support the rights, well-being, and dignity of justice-involved youth. In this position, the incumbent will investigate complaints or concerns raised by youth, conduct regular site visits to regional detention centers to assess facility conditions and interview youth regarding their experiences, and advocate for policy and practice reforms by providing informed recommendations to state and county leaders. If this sounds like an opportunity that would fit into your career path, then click the apply button to get started.  We encourage all interested and qualified individuals to apply!

Essential Functions:

• Serve as a dedicated advocate for youth in detention by building trust, addressing concerns, and promoting systemic improvements that support the rights, well-being, and dignity of justice-involved youth.
• Monitor and support compliance with established standards in county-operated juvenile detention centers through direct observation, collaboration, and technical assistance to ensure safe, lawful, and youth-centered detention practices.
• Develop and deliver clear, accurate, and timely reports that document detention center conditions, youth concerns, and policy recommendations, ensuring transparency and accountability across all levels of oversight.
• Advise on juvenile justice policy by developing recommendations, coordinating stakeholder communication, and leading research efforts to inform best practices and improve detention standards across regional facilities.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Requires four (4) years of progressively responsible administrative experience in areas such as juvenile/criminal justice, child welfare, investigations, or civil rights advocacy as evidenced by verifiable experience in the field or by academic background.

Preferred Qualifications: (In Order of Significance):

• Prefers two (2) or more years of direct service experience working with adolescents and young adults in or around the juvenile/criminal justice system.
• Prefers two (2) or more years of experience working collaboratively in or around Illinois government stakeholders (ie. municipal, local/county, state).
• Prefers completion training in restorative justice philosophy and peace-keeping circle practice.

Conditions of Employment:

• Required to pass an IDJJ/IDOC background screening.
• Required to pass an IDJJ/IDOC drug screening.
• Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate.
• Requires ability to attend seminars, conferences, and trainings to stay current on methods, tools, ideologies, or other industry related topics relevant to the job duties.
• This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings. 

The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

About the Agency:

The mission of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) is to build youth skills and strengthen families by promoting community safety and positive youth outcomes. Over 900 staff members from across various departments—security, programming, education, mental health, and more—collaborate with the understanding that youth are physically, emotionally, and cognitively different from adults. The department provides extensive services to young people through a developmental, treatment-focused model of care that builds youth resiliency, engages families, and promotes community safety at the five youth facilities it operates across the state. IDJJ serves and houses approximately 150 youth and is responsible for approximately 500 youth on Aftercare in various Illinois’ communities.