JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM A MESS, GRAND JURY SAYS; `COUNTYWIDE EMERGENCY' CITED.Byline: Jesse Hiestand Daily News Staff Writer Ventura County's juvenile justice system is in chaos, with crowded and dangerous facilities, insufficient counseling programs and clogged court dockets court docket n. see docket. , the grand jury said in a report issued Tuesday. County officials should immediately begin building a facility to house young criminals, putting a bond issue before county voters if need be, the report concludes. ``The Board of Supervisors (should) declare the juvenile system a countywide emergency and make construction of a Juvenile Justice System a top priority, with or without state and/or federal funds Federal Funds Funds deposited to regional Federal Reserve Banks by commercial banks, including funds in excess of reserve requirements. Notes: These non-interest bearing deposits are lent out at the Fed funds rate to other banks unable to meet overnight reserve ,'' states the report, released at the end of the panel's yearlong term. Calvin Remington, deputy director of the Corrections Services Agency, agreed with the grand jury's findings and said it is time to address the problem. The Clifton Tatum Center in Ventura, where juvenile offenders serve their sentences, generally houses 110 inmates in facilities designed for 84. And the county's youth population has grown 114 percent since 1985, yet juvenile facilities have added only eight beds since 1971, Remington said. ``We have a bubble of kids coming up that is not going to peak out until 2010,'' he said. ``We're running out of options, and the courts are running out of options.'' Remington said corrections officials are drafting solutions and working with a consultant to design a new juvenile facility, with funding still to be determined. But Board of Supervisors Chairman John Flynn said he'd rather rehabilitate re·ha·bil·i·tate v. 1. To restore to good health or useful life, as through therapy and education. 2. To restore to good condition, operation, or capacity. the juveniles in the early stages than have to build additional facilities to handle the more serious offenders. ``If we simply build more and more facilities to lock up more and more juveniles, that's no solution in my view,'' Flynn said. Treatment and counseling programs, he said, are ``the least expensive way and a more moral approach to the problem. After all, they are children - children who desperately need attention and are not getting it.'' In their report, grand jurors a member of a grand jury. See also: Grand note the juvenile justice ``crisis'' has been addressed by previous grand juries, and largely ignored. ``Most of the problems regarding the juvenile justice system are due to the low priority in funding,'' the report states. Juvenile justice was just one of the public safety issues tackled by the panel. It also looked at the citizen complaint procedures utilized by the county's various police agencies. Without identifying specific departments, grand jurors found that residents have been discouraged from making complaints - intimidated because they have to speak to a sergeant just to get a complaint form. The agencies should make it easier for residents to communicate with the police who serve them, the jurors said. ``Law enforcement should look upon complaints as a barometer of police performance,'' the grand jury concludes. Several community-oriented policing A philosophy that combines traditional aspects of law enforcement with prevention measures, problem-solving, community engagement, and community partnerships. From the 1930s to the 1960s, U.S. law enforcement relied on a professional policing model. programs were investigated, including the one in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. , and viewed as vital to the partnership between police agencies and residents. The report recommends that police make every effort to support the programs and that detailed annual financial records and reports be established by communities to ensure accountability for funding. Grand jurors suggest that security be increased at the county courthouse in Ventura, with metal detectors and X-ray machines installed at the entrances. In addition, roving security details of sheriff's deputies would spot-check rooms, hallways and other areas, and the Sheriff's Department would use K-9 units to do random explosives searches. In presenting the final report to Presiding pre·side intr.v. pre·sid·ed, pre·sid·ing, pre·sides 1. To hold the position of authority; act as chairperson or president. 2. To possess or exercise authority or control. 3. Superior Court Judge Robert Bradley Robert Bradley or Bob Bradley can refer to:
He went on to praise the outgoing grand jury's diversity as a source of strength and thanked District Attorney Michael Bradbury and County Counsel James McBride James McBride may mean:
``Their legal interpretations both criminal and civil were invaluable to us,'' Billinger said. NEW GRAND JURORS The following is a list of 1997-98 grand jurors, who were sworn in Tuesday: CAMARILLO Antonio Caballero Antonio Caballero Bravo (born June 24, 1967 in Guipúzcua) is a retired boxer from Spain, who represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Joe Hernandez Jose M. Hernandez (born February 9, 1940 in Bakersfield, California) was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football for the University of Arizona. Edward J. Millian NEWBURY PARK Robert Stahl Lillian Trevisan OXNARD Harold E. Brooks Garda Falt Donald Thibeault Pablo G. Vargas SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. Diane Evans Norbert Rehaut THOUSAND OAKS Ollie S. Chenvert Bobbie J. Diehl Deborah Humphrey Bernard Lavin VENTURA Barry Armstrong Armstrong was a versitile player, used most often as a centreman and ruck rover. Eldon Bentley Edmund A. Pizzi Marsha Weber Grand jury findings In its 163-page report issued Tuesday, the Ventura County grand jury delved into 32 issues ranging from library funding to the county's computer technology. Following is a sampling of the findings: Ventura County Medical Center Ventura County Medical Center is a hospital in the city of Ventura, California, USA. It is a 208 bed acute care hospital. The county also operates a 49 bed campus in Santa Paula. : The Board of Supervisors should look into the urgent problems in the utility tunnels, as well as the laboratory and dietary unit. Jurors also suggested the Bard Building be replaced, a parking structure built and that the ambulatory and special clinics be modernized. City councils: After attending meetings throughout the county, grand jurors found that city councils ``too frequently use the consent agenda to expedite business and close off public debate.'' The jurors encouraged more residents, especially young people, to get involved in city politics and recommended that each council develop a code of ethical conduct, including guidelines for working together. Affirmative action affirmative action, in the United States, programs to overcome the effects of past societal discrimination by allocating jobs and resources to members of specific groups, such as minorities and women. : The county's affirmative action officer should be an exclusive position answering to the Chief Administrative Office. The job is currently assumed by the director of human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. , a situation that grand jurors feel restricts its independence. Welfare reform: Welfare recipients who must seek employment within a mandated period to retain their benefits must have access to quality child-care services, the panel said. Jurors suggested that county supervisors seek community involvement in establishing on-site child-care centers at businesses that employ parents who are getting off welfare. CAPTION(S): 2 Boxes Box: (1--Color) NEW GRAND JURORS (See text) (2) GRAND JURY FINDINGS (See text) |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion