Caddo Parish officials continue to look at ways to deal with the state’s Raise The Age law.

The new law went into effect at the beginning of the month. It puts non-violent 17-year-olds into the Juvenile Justice System instead of adult courts. But there’s concerns the changes put a strain on smaller facilities like the Caddo Parish Juvenile Detention Center.

Caddo Parish Director of Juvenile Services Clay Walker have been busy getting ready for the change.

“We’re trying to reduce the numbers in detention to those who are truly a public safety risk and then hopefully have enough beds for the 17- year-olds who do come in,” Walker said.

The Caddo Parish Juvenile Detention Center only has 24 beds. On average, 19 of those are full.

Juvenile Services is working with the District Attorney and law enforcement to increase diversion programs and add staff and ankle monitors. Hours at the Misdemeanor Referral Center have also been extended.

But if the facility gets to capacity, like it usually does in April and May, juvenile judges will have to decide who to hold and who to let out.

Walker says it will come down to how fast cases are being processed.

“Adding the 17 -year-olds, it looks to us we are going to be over capacity in those months. That will make us look even further then to who could get an alternative to detention,” Walker said.

One Caddo Parish Commissioner thinks citizens might have the answer.

The option of building a new facility has been brought up to the Caddo Parish Commission. While the commission does have some reserves to build a facility, it wouldn’t be able to fund the recurring operating costs.

Caddo Parish Commissioner Mike Middleton now wants to form a Citizen’s Advisory Committee to help look at the issue.

“I hope we don’t have to do an new tax, but maybe these citizens can tell us how we can do it without doing that,” Middleton said.

The committee would be make up of 12 members. They would have 3 months to make a recommendation. Any decision would ultimately be up to the commission.

But not all commissioners are on board.

“We get paid to make the decisions. We have the citizens to our ears to tell us what they want us to do as their representatives,” said Commissioner Lyndon Johnson.

Commissioners will vote Thursday whether they want to move forward with the committee.

http://www.ksla.com/2019/03/05/caddo-coping-with-juvenile-justice-system-changes/