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Commission: Remove juveniles from sex registries

SPRINGFIELD - A study says requiring juveniles to register as sex offenders impairs rehabilitation efforts for a crime that very few of them ever commit again.

The Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission's report released Tuesday recommends removing offenders younger than 17 from sex registries that can negatively affect an offender for years.

The report - requested in 2012 by the General Assembly - is the first comprehensive review of laws and treatment plans for juvenile sex offenders. It finds that few young sex offenders ever commit the offense again and that individualized, community-based treatment plans are highly effective.

The report recommends developing standards for courts and law enforcement professionals to deal with young sex offenders, and for a consistent assessment tool across Illinois for evaluating risks posed by individual juveniles.

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