New law on youth sentencing will protect child sex trafficking victims

Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed the “Prevent Unfair Sentencing of Youth Act,” which allows judges to depart from mandatory minimums or return a victim’s case to juvenile court if they’re survivors of exploitation. (Pat Nabong/Sun-Times)

Right now, everyone is talking about Mayor Brandon Johnson and his commitment to taking Chicago in a new direction regarding criminal justice. But we must also cast our eyes to Springfield, where Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the General Assembly continue their push to make Illinois a better, safer, more fair place for everyone.

With all this movement and momentum happening around us, we want to shine a light on one critically important piece of legislation that was thankfully just signed into law on the final day of June. It’s HB 3414, otherwise known as the “Prevent Unfair Sentencing of Youth Act.”