EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of two stories about a new juvenile-justice law with comments from Juvenile Services and the Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. The second will have more from Kansas Appleseed.
A new juvenile-justice law that went on the books July 1 could easily end up causing more problems than it was intended to solve, said Marissa Woodmansee, Juvenile Services (JS) executive director.
House Bill 2329 calls for stiffer penalties and expands time in detention.
For example, if a young person goes through the JS intake program for an offense such as shoplifting, property damage or marijuana use, and then commits another misdemeanor within 90 days, detention is the next step.
“The law doesn’t make allowances for the difference between misdemeanors and felonies,” Woodmansee said. “When we are looking at low-level offenses, we certainly don’t want to be looking at incarceration.
“It is kind of like two-strikes and you’re out for committing a couple of misdemeanors.”
There are many effective, evidence-based local services that support young people who find themselves in trouble, Woodmansee noted. These include behavioral- and mental-health services at non-profit entities and private businesses.
“In addition, Juvenile Services offers one-on-one sessions with motivational interviewing, Life Skills classes and community-service projects,” Woodmansee emphasized. “We also use a state-of-the-art electronic monitoring system that allows us to be in immediate contact with the young person 24/7.
“Equally important, we provide family-engagement services that bring youth together with parents, siblings and other loved ones. These engagement services often are a big part of bringing families together, which is crucial to catching problems before they escalate.”
Consequences
One consequence of the new law is that the financial costs can strap the budgets of counties across the state, Woodmansee reported. The cost of incarceration in a Kansas detention center ranges from $200 to $300 per day.
“The law calls for even more time spent in detention. But I have always been a stickler for who goes to detention, in part, because of the financial costs to local taxpayers. We want to be good stewards of the county’s funds and keep kids out of detention, especially when we are talking about low-level offenses.
“There are also transportation expenses to consider. A court-ordered trip to detention can involve anywhere from a two-hour to an eight-hour round trip; our local officers have to make these trips.”
Another ramification is that, in many cases, there may not be space for the juvenile in a detention center.
There are nine such centers in Kansas, some of which accept only young people from their area.
“Just because someone is ordered to go to detention there is no guarantee there will be a place for them,” Woodmansee cautioned. “In fact, I just learned that Sedgwick County’s center is already at capacity because of this new law. And we are only about three months into it.
“This legislation needed at least another year of study,” she added. “There are so many moving parts. We need to follow the law but, simultaneously, we must adhere to best practices that we know are effective.”
Kansas Appleseed
Woodmansee noted that the Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice kept her in the loop while the Legislature discussed HB 2329 earlier this year.
“Brenna Visocsky kept me apprised about legislative updates. She was always available to help me understand what was happening throughout the whole process. She is a great asset to my colleagues and me.”
Visocsky noted that when HB 2329 was introduced and interested parties came together, “Marissa showed up to provide vital context to the impact the bill was going to have at the local level. She did this enthusiastically within this group and directly with her local legislators.
“Marissa is a great example of someone with boots on the ground using her expertise to advocate for what is best for the population she serves. She knew what this bill was likely to do to Kansas children and the programs that serve them, and fought for them both. Marissa is a dedicated professional and Kansas is lucky to have her working for youth navigating the justice system.”
20th Judicial District Juvenile Services empowers youth in Barton, Rice, Ellsworth, Stafford and Russell counties to achieve positive outcomes by offering Juvenile Intake & Assessment, Immediate Intervention, Intensive Supervised Probation, Case Management, Journey to Change, Life Skills, All Stars and Youth Crew. Parents and guardians also are offered The Parent Project. Visit 1800 12th in Great Bend or call 620-793-1930.