Jackson Free Press

Hinds County Supervisors considered adopting a memorandum of understanding with a youth justice advocacy organization at a board meeting this morning. The proposed memorandum, which the board discussed in a closed executive session, would establish acceptable staff-to-youth ratios at the Henley-Young Youth Detention Center, mandate exercise time for youth detainees, and limit the center staff's use of restraints and physical force.

The agreement would also allow regular monitoring visits from the Mississippi Youth Justice Project, which has objected to conditions at the center, especially the staff's use of physical restraints.

Discussing the agreement before the executive session, District 3 Supervisor Peggy Calhoun asked County Administrator Vern Gavin if he had a plan for meeting the Youth Justice Project's requirements. She noted that Donald Beard, director of the state's Juvenile Facilities Monitoring Unit, gave the county a similar set of recommendations in June.

"I have not seen any concrete evidence that we were moving forward in implementing even those recommendations," Calhoun said.

Supervisors also voted on a separate agenda item allowing Henley-Young Director Darron Farr to replace staff lost due to turnover, in spite of a county-wide hiring freeze that passed unanimously in September. The 84-bed facility currently has 17 staff, down from the 25 allotted in its budget. District 4 Supervisor Phil Fisher cast the lone vote against the exemption.

"If we're going to undo the hiring freeze piecemeal, we might as well just do away with it altogether," Fisher said.

The Mississippi Youth Justice Project has also turned its attention to a facility in Lauderdale County. In a federal lawsuit filed today by another advocacy organization, Disability Rights Mississippi, the group alleges that the county's juvenile detention center is "rife with unconstitutional and abusive conditions." Center staff routinely locks mentally ill detainees in their cells for 23 hours a day and use pepper spray on detainees for minor infractions, they allege. Lauderdale County officials have barred the two groups from visiting the facility or speaking to detainees, however, a move that the Youth Justice Project calls illegal.

Previous Commentsshow

Let's hope the supervisors show some sense and approve the memorandum. The history of the youth detention center is nothing short of horrifying, involving such pillars of the community as Bluntson and Melton. The neglect, abuse, and rape of juveniles under our supervision is a disgrace that should fill us all with equal parts shame and rage. Whether it's the training schools or the detention centers, its time for the government to stop enabling the abuse of Mississippi's children.

Brian C Johnson

Oct 19 2009

...and the Board sat back and said nothing as these "horrifying" criminal acts were done to our female youths and the "pillars" were allowed to resign and not face their victims. I often wonder where these kids are or if they will ever tell their stories. It is my sincere hope that this time around, our youth will be given tools and supervision for healing - not hurting. Most of the children have some type of DSM-IV TR diagnosis. The attention, in my opinion, should be placed on the type of staff members who are hired. If we are not staffed with people who know and have management skills for the mentally challenged, you can expect the use of physical restraints and pepper spray to be used inappropriately. Usually the salaries do not support the hiring of trained staff.

justjess

Oct 19 2009