In Dallas County, 11,386 youth were referred to our Juvenile Department in 1995, with 3,886 being for felony offenses. Our concentration at the back end of our system, such as placing juveniles in residential placement facilities or sending them to the Texas Youth Commission, has resulted in the expenditure of millions of dollars each year with very little success.
The citizens of this County have every right to expect accountability from the parents, the child, the juvenile system, and their elected officials. Politicians just talking about the problem isn’t going to cut it. People want to see solutions. We know what the problems are, and it’s time that we get about the business of doing what’s necessary to correct it.
I am currently developing a new “Early Intervention” program for juveniles that targets Truancy, which I believe to be an “early warning” sign that a child is having problems. This is the earliest intervention point in our criminal justice system which deals with juvenile offenders. If a child is skipping school, you can be assured that there are problems with drugs, alcohol, abuse at home, or problems at school. This program seeks to immediately identify the problem(s), take the necessary action to correct the problem(s), and get the child going in the right direction.
Truancy cases are filed in the Justice of the Peace Courts which are our “front lines” of defense in our battle against juvenile crime. Our new program will put some teeth into their Court orders. If a child violates the Court’s Truancy Order, he will be referred to the Juvenile Department for Contempt of Court, taken into custody, and transported to the old Juvenile Detention Facility. The parent(s) will be Court ordered to appear at that facility and to participate in the disposition of their child’s case.
Upon arriving at the facility, the child will appear before a Juvenile Judge and be given the choice of facing a contempt hearing and serving time at the Detention Center or being placed in an intensive responsibility program for the child and parent. If the child opts for the intensive responsibility program, an assessment is completed on the child and the parents. A case manager will be assigned and all the services available and applicable to that child and family will be utilized.
The most important part of this program is the follow-up phase because our success is determined by how well the child and the family are able to cope once the child is back at home in the same neighborhood and environment from which they came. Each child will be assigned to a “High Impact Team,” which will consist of individuals from businesses, churches, service clubs, schools, and law enforcement. This Team’s mission will be to work with the child’s entire family to make sure that the child and their siblings do not end up in the juvenile system. These Team members are the individuals that under-gird the very foundation of our society, and are essential in making a difference in our fight against juvenile crime. They can provide the necessary guidance, dedicated caring, and support that deal effectively with these kid’s needs. They can shape their values, attitudes, and beliefs regarding honesty, perseverance, self-restraint, personal responsibility, and service to others and provide them with a sense of purpose and belonging.
Life is a challenge, and these kids need to have the necessary guidance to get themselves mentally, spiritually, and emotionally ready to handle it. Together we can make a difference in the lives of these kids as well as our community. If you are interested in being a High Impact Team member, please call my office at 240-1740.
