NORTH LAWNDALE — Young men from the West Side who have been charged with serious crimes will now have a chance to avoid pretrial detention and instead enter a new academic and social services program.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is launching a pilot program early next year aimed at keeping West Side boys ages 13-17 who are facing criminal charges out of jail. Instead, the teens enrolled in the program will be made to attend school and receive 20 hours a week of after-school social and mental health services.
The social services will be provided by West Side nonprofits who have long worked with local youth…