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JUVENILE FACILITIES NEED MORE BEDS - Not Enough Room To House Youthful Offenders |
| (02/06/2001) |
| Calhoun County had a population of 990 juveniles age 10-17 in 1998.
Records show
1.11% of those juveniles, or 11, got locked up for the commission of
crimes. Most of
them were charged with property crimes, but many were charged with
crimes against
another person or the violation of drug laws. Juveniles that are 16 or
17 years old
compile the largest number of incarcerations. The Division of Juvenile Services now has a budget of $19 million to manage the offenders, but they say the State of West Virginia needs more beds. West Virginia now has room to lock up 76 juveniles, but that total will soon become 124. Regional Jail Authority Director Steve Canterbury has recommended another 96 beds to the legislature, bringing the total to 220. Controversy surrounds who should be locked up. Melissa Sickmund, a researcher for the National Center for Juvenile Justice, believes they should be locked up only when they are a danger to themselves or others, or if they are likely to run away. Cindy Largent, a Deputy Director for the new juvenile system, says kids often end up in jail because they couldn't get mental health care sooner and closer to home. Despite the public's perception, counseling, psychological and psychiatric services are not readily available, particularly in rural communities. They are not readily available in school systems for lack of funds. Few services are available to kids who develop drinking or drug problems. The West Virginia mental health centers have privatized themselves and deliver services to clients who can pay or have medical cards. A consistent delivery of care rarely happens with focus upon crisis intervention. Mental health centers in West Virginia have become bankrupt and most of them are bordering on financial collapse. The centers were originally legislated as public health providers. Statistics: Juveniles who were incarcerated from area counties to % of population:
Roane 12 (0.54%) |
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