Juvenile and other courts, and law enforcement and other public agencies maintain a variety of records regarding juveniles who become involved in the juvenile justice system and the criminal justice system—including arrest records, school records, medical or behavioral health records, and family and social history. Many states have laws that restrict access to these records to protect youth from the stigma of a record in the juvenile justice system or criminal justice system. The confidentiality of juvenile records is in contrast with the open records laws that apply to adults in the criminal justice system. Laws regarding access to juvenile records, sealing of juvenile records, and expungement (destruction or deletion) of juvenile records vary from state to state, and are usually located in a state’s statutes.
In Illinois, juvenile records are protected under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, which aims to safeguard the confidentiality of records pertaining to minors involved in the juvenile justice system. Access to these records is generally restricted to certain parties, such as judges, law enforcement, and specific authorized agencies, and is not available to the public. Illinois law also provides mechanisms for the sealing and expungement of juvenile records. Sealing makes the records inaccessible to most parties without a court order, while expungement results in the records being destroyed or their names being removed. The eligibility for sealing or expungement depends on various factors, including the nature of the offense, the time elapsed since the case was closed, and the completion of any ordered sentence or supervision. These provisions are designed to prevent the long-term negative impact of having a juvenile record and to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of youth into society.