Juvenile Justice Correction Facilities
In May of 2004 the municipality removed juveniles from a section of the adult corrections facility, as ordered by the government, because the juvenile area did not provide sight and sound separation from the adult population. The facility was a 50-year-old, 900-square-foot holding structure located adjacent to the adult facility. It held juveniles awaiting initial adjudication and status offenders, such as those charged with underage possession of alcohol and incorrigible behavior. This juvenile facility has two sleeping rooms located next to each housing both males and females and has held up to eight juveniles at a time. It does not have a shower room, dayrooms, or an outdoor exercise area and is not in compliance with government standards.
After initial adjudication, juveniles charged with nonstatus offenses are transferred to another facility that is over 12 hours away, making visitation extremely difficult. Once there, they do not have access to family, community support, or rehabilitation services and can quickly become institutionalized.
In 2008, there were 398 minors arrested. Of these 398 minors, 141 prosecutions were initiated. Currently, there are 73 pending cases from 2008. Of these, 32 were for drug abuse, underage drinking, and possession of alcohol. Many of the 141 initiated prosecutions included multiple charges. These charges are for burglaries, theft, rapes, assaults, threats or endangerment, disorderly conduct, attempt at unlawful sexual behavior, carrying a concealed weapon, joyriding, abusing property, reckless driving, incorrigible behavior, and sexual abuse. The majority of these also included substance abuse or alcohol use.
There has been an annual increase in incidents involving juveniles from 10% to 155% per year over the last 5 years. The number of prosecutions in 2008 has increased 200% from 2007. The increasing prosecutions reflect a shift in law enforcement to preserve peace and security in the municipality. The high number of arrests reflects a dramatic increase in methamphetamine use and underage drinking. This problem has also been identified as a primary cause of the rapid increase in school drop-out rates, truancy, family conflicts, and other juvenile crime.
Juvenile offenses have dramatically increased over recent years and the need for a new facility was apparent. In response, the municipality established the Juvenile Justice Review Committee (JJRC) that is comprised of participants who want to improve the juvenile justice system. This group meets monthly and more frequently when required.