Detention fix must happen now, not later

Over the past few months we have covered in depth issues concerning recreation districts in Terrebonne Parish, and plans — now in the works — for oversight of them by parish government-More recently — this week and last week — we have presented stories related to the Terrebonne Parish juvenile justice system.

The latter relates inextricably to the former. Healthy, realistic and contextual recreation venues and activities are a first line of defense in a community against child misadventures and therefore damage to both the child and society at large.

The parish council stepped up to the plate and got solid wood on the ball in regard to recreation.

The stories we run today concerning juvenile justice require similar courage if the council is to consider its role as a problem solver.

Well-demonstrated at this point is that the overwhelming majority of young people who are brought to the Terrebonne Parish Juvenile Justice Complex were booked on relatively minor charges. Misdemeanors far outnumber felonies. Yet we keep children in detention and demand a cash bail or bond, according to a pre-set schedule. We keep children in detention in many cases after their court appearances.

Most if not all jurisdictions in Louisiana either place children in detention or release them after booking to their parents, depending on what scores from screening procedures recommend. Those jurisdictions report better outcomes for juvenile cases overall, and a minimal number of flight problems or re-offenses while cases are pending.

We are not going to argue with success and neither should Terrebonne Parish.

Judge Matt Hagen. who hears juvenile cases, says that he doesn’t want “strangers” to determine whether children should be bonded. We would hardly call the workgroup at such a critical place as the detention center strangers. We also question whether one person, a judge or anyone else for that matter, can or should be saddled with a policy decision this massive.

Establishment of a proper release protocol will take time.

It will take money. But it is a sound investment.

Certainly, Assistant District Attorney Bernadette Pickett’s SPARC program, profiled in this issue, provides a sound alternative to detention after first contact. Use of some money earmarked for the SPARC could be used to establish a release protocol. A release tool can be modeled after the one now in use at East Baton Rouge, or in Jefferson Parish.

But this will not happen on its own.

The Parish Council must consider an ordinance that would require the Juvenile Detention Center – which is owns and is responsible for — to implement a security-based assessment of incoming arrests at the detention center, to weigh public safety against freedom, and eliminate use of bonds in all cases.

As has been done in other communities, a committee of educators, law enforcement, defense bar and prosecution bar members, as well as the business community and civil rights advocates should meet and determine how this should be done. Everyone should have a voice.

In its simplest form such an ordinance could state:

“No juvenile (as defined by law) shall be admitted to a juvenile detention center after arrest without being given an assessment to determine if he or she is (a) a danger to the community or (b) at risk of fleeing the jurisdiction by not coming back to court.:

If the juvenile meets the criteria for release then he or she shall be given over to a parent or legal guardian, with proper notice of the next court date and the charge so ordered. Preset bonds for juveniles shall not be permitted or used in this parish.”

While the council is at it. perhaps something can be done about the practice of shaving the heads of boys when they are first booked into detention. It is not done by licensed barbers. It serves no purpose and it makes us look backward and stupid, particularly since the heads of girls are not shaved.

Taking this recommendation will not require much, just a bit of courage. But the council has recently demonstrated that it has some of that, and should act like it.