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Know your rights, kids
By Robyn Lydick
Kids have rights and Carla Turner of the Douglas County Youth Initiative wants every person under 18 in the county to know their rights.
To that end, she is leading a program to create a master document that will outline every youth’s rights, be they an honor student or in a juvenile justice facility.
Starting with the Constitutional Bill of Rights, the Youth Bill of Rights will encompass rights intrinsic to all people.
Turner spoke to the Metro District Oct. 27. Metro District helps fund the youth initiative through the Partnership of Douglas County Governments.
At the heart of the issue for Turner are children and teens in care facilities, from group homes to juvenile justice facilities.
“We screen petty offenders into jail,” Turner said, “When there is no adult to release them to.”
This creates a scenario where the ratio of incarcerated to released teen offenders is 2 to 1.
Typically, offenders are screened and their risk to the community is assessed. Offenders can be released to their parents or guardians, placed on house arrest, moved to a shelter or sentenced to juvenile jail.
The 18th Judicial District, which includes Douglas, Elbert, Arapahoe and Lincoln counties, Turner said, is weighted to the first and last option.
Having a Youth Bill of Rights would allow teens and children to know where the law protects them.
The document will be created over the next year, and possibly adopted at the 2010 Youth Congress in Douglas County.
“What happens once this document is created?” asked Kathy Smith of the Metro District advisory board.
Turner said the document would not have legal weight and would be nonbinding on parents. “We want every child under 18 to get a copy,” Turner said.
To that end, she is leading a program to create a master document that will outline every youth’s rights, be they an honor student or in a juvenile justice facility.
Starting with the Constitutional Bill of Rights, the Youth Bill of Rights will encompass rights intrinsic to all people.
Turner spoke to the Metro District Oct. 27. Metro District helps fund the youth initiative through the Partnership of Douglas County Governments.
At the heart of the issue for Turner are children and teens in care facilities, from group homes to juvenile justice facilities.
“We screen petty offenders into jail,” Turner said, “When there is no adult to release them to.”
This creates a scenario where the ratio of incarcerated to released teen offenders is 2 to 1.
Typically, offenders are screened and their risk to the community is assessed. Offenders can be released to their parents or guardians, placed on house arrest, moved to a shelter or sentenced to juvenile jail.
The 18th Judicial District, which includes Douglas, Elbert, Arapahoe and Lincoln counties, Turner said, is weighted to the first and last option.
Having a Youth Bill of Rights would allow teens and children to know where the law protects them.
The document will be created over the next year, and possibly adopted at the 2010 Youth Congress in Douglas County.
“What happens once this document is created?” asked Kathy Smith of the Metro District advisory board.
Turner said the document would not have legal weight and would be nonbinding on parents. “We want every child under 18 to get a copy,” Turner said.
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