Federal monitoring of Juvenile Court should continue

I met recently with U.S. Justice Department representatives who are monitoring Shelby County's Juvenile Court system.

I wanted to know the impact of a letter our county officials sent in June asking the Justice Department to end its oversight. I was told the letter is under review but oversight will continue for now.

It should. Federal oversight should remain in place as long as we still have lingering issues with equal protection and due process in our juvenile court system. According to the monitors' most recent reports, we do.

The federal monitors are not casting blame on any one person. They are simply exposing a system that too often has failed kids who are black, brown or impoverished.

The state and fate of our juvenile court system represents an important crossroads for this community. 

If we are serious about addressing the concerns of poverty and crime in this community, then everyone should be focused on making sure that we get it right in Juvenile Court. If we get it right, fewer young people will get trapped in the criminal justice system. 

As an attorney, I am paying particularly close attention to the due process issue.

I applaud Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell for giving Public Defender Stephen Bush more autonomy. Frankly, Bush needs even more than authority to execute his Blueprint to Achieve Compliance with respect to Juvenile Defender Services.

Juvenile detainees should have legal representation at every phase of their case. That includes during probation hearings as well as other related court appearances.

I'm also concerned about the matter of equal protection. Federal monitors have reported that our court system treats black children more harshly than white children who have similar records and are charged with the same crime.

I remain open to the idea of a juvenile assessment center.  However, I know my fellow Shelby County commissioners have a lot of questions about that and will expect a full briefing soon.

One major question: If we approve a juvenile assessment center, will Justice Department monitoring continue?

DOJ monitors will release a new report in December. I believe this report will continue to shed light on what’s happening in our juvenile court system. Everyone wants a juvenile court system that ensures the constitutional rights of all children, regardless of their race or economic circumstances.

How do we get there and how quickly? The Justice Department should continue its oversight until both questions are sufficiently answered.

Van Turner is a Shelby County commissioner.