Juvenile justice center uses alternative approaches

Adolescents receive assistance to help them succeed.

By Rachel Allred

Published Sept. 18, 2009

Prevention and reform programs around Columbia and Boone County offer activities for young adults and educational programs for juvenile criminals.

Sgt. Lloyd Simons of the Columbia Police Department Community Services Unit said the preventative measures taken to encourage youth to make wise decisions are beneficial to the community.

"There are a lot of groups and organizations that offer tons of programs to keep kids out of trouble," Simons said. "Their hearts are in the right place. Anything that you do to put forth effort to reduce juvenile crime is going in the right direction."

Simons said though the police department is no longer teaching the DARE program, officers still work with local school districts to encourage students to make healthy decisions.

"We mentor and adopt classes," Simons said. "When you're a mentor, you're assigned to one kid and you visit the child a couple times a month. If you adopt a class, you're a friend to all the kids in the class and do activities with the class."

The Youth Community Coalition, which started in 2003, is another group that plans events as alternatives to starting harmful habits for young adults ages 12-25.

"The Youth Community Coalition is an organization of youth and adults working to prevent drug and alcohol abuse among teens in Columbia," YCC coordinator Rebecca Markt said. "The main opportunity is for youth to have a voice in the community and to be able to develop policies and practices that will help them have a better future in our community."

When someone less than the age of 17 commits a crime, the judicial action taken depends on the circumstance and factors involved. While they wait for a decision to be made, they stay in a detention area located in the Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center, Superintendent Pete Schmersahl said. The child might receive home detention, have to conduct community service hours, enroll in programs at or have to reside in the Juvenile Justice Center for an extended period of time.

The justice center is divided into two sections. The detention facility is meant to hold those waiting a decision. The residential aspect and mandated programs serve a different purpose than just holding the youth.

"The program side is the side for those who have already received jurisdiction and the plan is for them either to stay here for short term care or to receive an evaluation," Schmersahl said.

The center provides various classes including a substance abuse program, an anger management program and a music and art program. They also have a Cognitive Behavior Intervention program that Schmersahl said has had success countrywide.

"Cognitive Behavioral Intervention is a skill-building program that helps them think before they act," Schmersahl said. "It lets them understand their feelings and how to appropriately respond. CBI has been renowned nationwide and can be tracked for its success."

Schmersahl said the way the Juvenile Justice Center is run is similar to the Missouri Model, a program used in various cities that houses juveniles in low-security, dorm-like facilities. While there, juveniles receive counseling and guidance. Schmersahl said the center in Columbia is much like the model.

"The Missouri Model is a good model, and we use many of the same tactics," Schmersahl said. "The 13th Judicial Circuit is known for its cutting edge philosophies. We want to be on top of all the programs nationwide."

Schmersahl said the main goal of the facility is to give juveniles the attention and chance they need to succeed.

"The most important thing for any child is to be able to succeed in the thing they were unsuccessful at (before coming to the center)," Schmersahl said. "We just really need to get to know the child."