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Contributed commentary by Valerie A. Burroughs on the juvenile detention center proposed in Clarksville-Montgomery County:
My rebuttal as a 35-year taxpaying citizen of Montgomery County to Jimmie Garland, president of the Clarksville NAACP, in no way reflects my employer, Montgomery County Juvenile Court, because I am a Juvenile Probation officer.
Mr. Garland has no idea of what he speaks regarding the need for a juvenile justice resource center. I only wish he would truly educate himself on the matter. Juvenile Court is not like adult court. Its purpose is not punitive. Juvenile Court’s purpose is treatment and rehabilitation, not punishment. We seek to utilize the least restrictive methods necessary to obtain and provide services for families who are usually in crisis mode when they appear before the court. Now yes, that might mean sometimes we must detain a youth for his and the community’s safety, but better that than a 14-year-old dead child. Mr. Garland, try sleeping with that memory. The majority of our job involves maneuvering to obtain much-needed service for families in distress in order to stabilize the family unit and provide that youth an opportunity to learn from his/her mistake, grow and become a productive citizen. He’s wrong – we do understand the juvenile mind is not fully developed, physically, psychologically or emotionally.
Mr. Garland attempt to play the race card is disgraceful to the hard-working staff at Montgomery County Juvenile Court. We attempt to make a difference. Let’s have an educated and informed conversation, not a race-baiting one with a race-baiting objective, because the juvenile justice delinquency rate in Montgomery County is increasing yearly while staff seek to change that trajectory, he acknowledged. Yes! The facts will show more youth of color are involved with the court system. Why? This is what Juvenile Court staff spend the majority of their time trying to change through an understanding of family dynamics and services necessary to assist families in crisis. Mr. Garland states, “There is no discussion or agenda focusing on transformative or racial justice.” Does he know what an informal adjustment, pre-trial or post-trial diversion is or why judges utilize them? No! However, these things legally fit perfectly within the definition of what he speaks. Can more be done, yes, and we all acknowledge that fact.
He accuses staff’s request for a resource center as a way to establish a “pipeline from school to prison” for youth of color. Mr. Garland, allow me to provide you some true figures, not just what has falsely been planted in your head. 40% of the Youth Service officers and 90% of the Juvenile Probation officers for Montgomery County Juvenile Court are people of color. Are you really accusing us of pipelining youth of color, our future, into prison? No! We try to help children and families – all children and families. I observe these judges every day attempt to make the best decision for families and juveniles in this community while balancing the safety of the public. It’s not easy. They deserve our respect, not scorn. Our proudest moments and what we all live for is when a parent, grandparent or guardian returns to our office to show us the child who is graduating high school and leaving for college or the military or who simply secured a job and are moving forward beyond their juvenile poor choices.
I agree community meetings should be held regarding the request for a juvenile resource center, because we’re a community and everyone’s input is needed and appreciated. However, I beg and plead with Mr. Garland and anyone else within the community to please educate yourself on what we truly do at Juvenile Court. Don’t just come to heap misinformation and scurrilous accusations. I invite Mr. Garland or anyone else in the community to contact or visit me if you truly wish to know and understand our mission. In fact, if it’s more convenient I’ll gladly come to your organization to provide that education on my time.
Valerie A. Burroughs