SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — Shelby County leaders are hoping the new youth facility in Raleigh stops juvenile violence.
“We need to expand the number of supports that are available for our teenagers in town,” Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said. “We know that one of the major drivers of crime is from the youth and young adults. We know the recidivism rate in respect to youth and young adults is higher in respect to others.”
He says more must be done to get youth on the right path. It’s why Harris and his team opened a youth and family resource center for 13- to 17-year-olds in the former Raleigh library.
“We assumed this property late last summer and began to transform it into what you see today,” said Cedrick Gray, the county’s education and opportunity director and is one of the brains behind the center.
“Almost like a lighthouse on top of a hill, right? A place to go that’s a new option where you literally can get some support,” he said.
Support will be specific to the teen and could include behavioral health treatment, trauma counseling or services that address underlying issues in the home.
“It could be anything from rent and utility assistance to job training to mentoring programs,” he said.
Gray told us the building is ready to go. The rooms are set up and starting next week, they will begin accepting self-referrals meaning the teen or teen’s family can voluntarily sign up.
“They would make an appointment to see us, and we would then screen and assess them and build a behavioral plan,” he said.
They are also working to get Memphis police officers trained to identify teens who would benefit from the center. They’ll start with officers in precincts in Raleigh and Hickory Hill.
Basically, the officers will take a closer look at teens who get in trouble for these offenses.
- Assault Simple T.C.A. 39-13-101
- Criminal Trespass T.C.A. 39-14-405
- Disorderly Conduct T.C.A. 39-17-305
- Gambling T.C.A. 39-17-502
- Minor Possession of Tobacco T.C.A. 39-17-1505
- Minor Possession of Alcohol T.C.A. 57-3-412
- Simple Possession of Casual Exchange T.C.A. 39-17-418
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia T.C.A. 39-17-425
- Possession without Lawful Prescription (Legend Drug) T.C.A. 53-10-105
- Theft of Property/Shoplifting T.C.A. 39-14-103
- Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance T.C.A. 39-14-418
- Vandalism T.C.A. 39-14-408
“Maybe the police officer says what you’re doing is serious, but not so serious that we could maybe find a way to keep you from getting into trouble from going forward,” Gray said.
The teen would then be given the option to get help at the center instead of going to juvenile court.
Data shows that last year there was a slight decrease in juveniles charged with serious crimes like murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated assaults and carjacking.
But even so, the crime commission reports 593 serious juvenile charges, 607 in 2020 and 898 in 2019.
Research shows diverting youth from the judicial system can save taxpayers money, courts would become less crowded, and it reduces delinquency.
But most importantly, it helps the community and the youth.
“The goal is like with everything is to get to the root causes of crime and to make sure those in need of help get the help they need,” Harris said.
You can sign up for self referral at ShelbyYouthAndFamilyResourceCenter.com or by calling 901-222-4320.
