[TN] Judges call for new agency to take over DCS role of working with young offenders

AP ^ | 3/5/5

[SmithL]

NASHVILLE - An organization of Tennessee juvenile court judges, saying the Department of Children's Services is doing an inadequate job, this week called for a new state agency to house and treat young offenders.

This week, the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges met in Nashville, where about 90 members unanimously passed a resolution supporting efforts in the General Assembly to form a new agency to house and treat juvenile offenders, according to the group's spokeswoman, Joan Archer.

The judges complain serious offenders are not being held in secure environments and too often run away and commit new crimes. They also think some juvenile offenders are receiving no, or too little, treatment and rehabilitation, Archer said.

"I think that DCS has refused to recognize the severity of the needs of these kids and their potential for recommitting offenses if they're not treating them appropriately," said Nashville Juvenile Court Judge Betty Adams Green, who attended the meeting.

Detention and treatment of juvenile offenders was added to DCS's mission in the 1990s during the administration of former Gov. Don Sundquist, in order to place all children's services under one agency.

Commissioner Viola Miller was hired in 2004 to correct problems within DCS. The judges' resolution stated Miller "has not been responsive to these issues and does not appear to understand the gravity of the situation."

A lawyer for DCS said Miller has not had enough time to fix the problems cited by the juvenile court judges.

"I think that following the resolution at this point in time would be premature, because there has not been enough time for the new leadership that's been at DCS for just a year now to really try to implement changes to that population," said Steve Hornsby, general counsel for DCS.

Miller has put together a task force of juvenile justice experts, who will make recommendations in coming weeks for changes, Hornsby said.

State Rep. Jerome Cochran, R-Elizabethton, who has introduced a bill to create a new department of juvenile justice, said a new agency is needed now.

"I really feel we just don't have a choice right now," he said. "To me, this is not only an issue of helping these kids out. It's a matter of public safety, really."

[SmithL]

Oh, this is from the SUPREME branch of government. No Checks, No Balances.

[endthematrix]

They are performing a dutiful advocacy. I think just creating a "new" DCS is a waste. What is needed across the Nation is an effort to reduce caseload ratio. This can be alleviated by having some decent streamlined laws (some liberalized) for state care and adoption.

[GailA]

It cost tripple to house a juvy than it does an adult. With these meddling nellies it will up the cost you can bet on that. The defunct Sentencing Commission which for decades determined our crime laws based on our prison capicity this 'new' purposed agency will also be dictating law. We need at least 2-3 new juvy facilities to house the current crop of young criminals. To many are committing serious crimes and doing no time in prison at all or only do a very small amount of time in comparison to their adult counter parts.

[Coldwater Creek]

We need to do something with the supposedly adult lawmakers in Tennessee first i.e. John Ford!!!!!!!!!!

[Emmett McCarthy]

Well, you're right about that, of course, but I think the adult involvement in this shortage of caseworker time to deal with these problems is greater than just that.

We had a thread on here earlier this week about the problem of false allegations of child abuse used against spouses or former spouses for the purpose of gaining leverage in custody or child support disputes and how the courts refuse to punish the parent (usually the mother) for doing it. Each one of these false reports has to be investigated by a DCS caseworker and, if they are forced to waste their time doing that, it only follows logically that they don't have time to do the real work. Punish the persons who make these false reports and keep DCS workers from their jobs.