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RSS 2.0Tuesday, October 14, 2008
WTF happened there?
I recall a related story that would put this one in context: Family advocates shun juvenile court hearings
Here’s what I can piece together:
Texas Family Support Services is, as stated in the article, a group contracted to support children at risk of being removed from their homes in Travis County. I don’t know who they’re contracted by, but the important bit is that the group is supposed to represent the children.
During a juvenile court hearing, the judge ordered two representatives of TFSS, a parenting coach and a child mentor, as well as a Child Protective Services supervisor and caseworker (don’t know if this refers to two persons or one and the same) to be held in a holding cell for 20 minutes, because the judge was upset that this group (which is supposed to work for the children) recommended that the judge order a 14-year-old girl locked up in juvenile detention while awaiting trial.
Meurer (the judge) said the group spent 20 minutes in the cells, something she likened to a voluntary site visit rather than a punitive measure. She said she wanted them to understand the emotional toll that being jailed takes on children.
All of this leaves me a bit befuddled. I don’t know the details of the 14-year-old’s case, but since she’s scheduled for trial there’s probably a reason for it. The fact that the representative(s) of the CPS recommended that she’d be held in juvenile jail is rather suggestive, though. The article doesn’t say if the girl might do some time if convicted, but it’s not easy to conceive that this group conspired against the girl. I don’t doubt that doing time, even in juvenile jail, does take an emotional toll, but perhaps that’s what it takes to knock some sense into some tough cookies. Failing that, it may be a taste of what’s in store for them later in life.
I am not impressed by the judge’s rhethoric, though. Her ordering the group to be detained in a holding cell is certainly not a voluntary site visit, but an involuntary detention.
The head of TFSS is understandably upset and is refusing to let his employees attend any further court proceedings. Perhaps this is an overreaction and it’s certainly not good news for some kids, but I can’t really blame him.
