Jackson Free Press

Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes' proposed ordinances to prevent teen violence ran into a familiar wall yesterday.

Stokes wants to reenact an expired 2007 curfew ordinance for minors and an ordinance to keep minors out of nightclubs and bars. The proposal comes more than a week after four teens were shot outside The Main Event Sports Bar on U.S. 80. But a curfew for teens is problematic because law enforcement officials have no place to house the teens, Jackson Police Department Chief Rebecca Coleman said.

"The proposal of this ordinance is only going to remedy people's excitement right now instead of being a real solution to the problem," Ward 6 Councilman Tony Yarber said about the curfew ordinance yesterday at the council's work session.

In August 2010, Stokes and other council members championed a similar ordinance to restricted anyone under 18 from being on a public street, highway, park, vacant lot, establishment or other public place between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays, and midnight to 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Coleman maintained the same position she had last year and told council members that JPD is responsible for housing status offenders..

Status offenders are minors who are guilty of violating curfew, but have no other criminal charges on them. Prior to 2009, police stationed the unclaimed youth at the Henley-Young Juvenile Detention Center, but that is no longer possible. State law prevents status offenders from being placed in the same facility as the Henley-Young Detention center.

Council President Frank Bluntson said he worried the council's inaction would create a negative public perception.

"My concern is that people think we aren't doing anything and (teens) are getting killed while they are out at 3 a.m.," Bluntson said. "What we are saying is we don't have a place to put them, so we'd rather put them in the ground."

Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. discussed the possibility of designating a facility in the city to house status offenders. Yarber said he had attempted to use a church as an option for housing the offenders but state law prevents third parties from interfering.

The city allocates $1.2 million annually to the Henley-Young Detention Center and Johnson said that money could possibly be used for opening a satellite location for the detention center to house status offenders.

"We provide $1.2 million for the operation of Henley and we are suppose to be in the process of renegotiation," Johnson said. "I've always viewed that as a temporary agreement but there are questions about how the renewal is crafted. I'd like to see us maybe take that $1.2 million and have a facility to house status offenders. But it would require the cooperation of Hinds County."

Mississippi Youth Justice Project Staff Attorney Corrie Cockrell said her organization has been working with a committee to address the curfew issue, but couldn't discuss specific details about a location to house status offenders.

"Our big thing is that it would have to be a non-secure facility," Cockrell said. "That's the problem with Henley-Young. That's a secure detention facility. Children who are picked up for violating the curfew would not fall into the category of children who would require secure detention. That's the sticking point. I'm interested in seeing what the city is proposing to do."

Stokes was absent from Monday's work session.

Also see: No Place to Keep Curfew Violators," Chief Says

Previous Comments

ID

164137

Comment

"Stokes wants to reenact an expired 2007 curfew ordinance for minors and an ordinance to keep minors out of nightclubs and bars." Uh, why aren't the bars doing this? Or here's a novel idea, maybe the parents should attempt to actually parent their children, and not allow them to go out until the wee hours of the morning. I know, crazy talk. I'll at least give Stokes a bit of credit for showing up to work.

Author

RobbieR

Date

2011-07-26T13:29:00-06:00

ID

164147

Comment

"Stokes was absent from Monday's work-session." This seems to be a familiar account of Stoke's participation. My sugession is to involve the Department of Human Services, Division of Children and Youth. If a child is roaming the streets of Jackson after midnight, the parent(s) should be arrested. The issue, in my opinion, is one of parental neglect. Parents must be held accountable! We don't allow animals to roam the streets of Jackson: Why would we allow our children to put themselves in harm's way or have them in a position of harming others?

Author

justjess

Date

2011-07-27T19:47:32-06:00