MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The issue of Juvenile Court summons tends to gets people worked up.
It was the county’s knee-jerk reaction to the Department of Justice’s ruling a few years ago.
The feds said the county was locking up too many African American kids, and it was time to make some changes.
It might surprise you to learn the main issue that’s sending kids to Juvenile Court is domestic violence.
Some of it stemmed from anger management or mental health issues, others from unresolved family issues.
Tuesday Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell announced a new partnership with Georgetown University to take a closer look at how to fix the system.
Lisa Hill told WREG she was tasked with taking a look at the disproportionate number of minorities in the system here in Shelby County.
“We are specifically looking at children who basically need a cooling off period,” Hill explained.
Hill said they need another option rather than a jail cell.
“We are more interested in the children who may be first-time offenders, and there`s an issue in the home we can service without sending them to Juvenile Court.”
Currently, Porter-Leath has beds for these kids, but Shelby County officials are looking for even more partners in the community to expand these services for mental health and counseling.
Hill added, “Once you make that first contact with Juvenile Court that`s it. It follows you. We are concerned about those children who really don`t need to be there.”
Officials and citizens have criticized the juvenile summons program recently.
Kids involved in scary, violent acts like the Kroger mob attack, given a piece of paper, not punishment.
Shelby County Mayor Luttrell sympathized.
“I can understand the concerns people have of the summons system,” he said.
Mayor Luttrell said part of this partnership is taking a look at what`s working, what`s not, and how to fix it.
“We are working on it. But it`s going to be a few years before we get this complete,” he said.