New detention screening method in Rapides Parish, LA
Dec 1, 2008, DMC Action Network eNews
In early 2008, representatives from Rapides Parish (Alexandria, LA) Juvenile Court, the Assistant District Attorney, Indigent Defense Counsel, all law enforcement agencies, and juvenile probation services met over a 5-month period to develop a more fair and consistent detention screening method across the parish. The team assigned numerical points to several individual factors (such as the alleged offense(s), prior offenses, prior failure to appear in court) in order to create a more uniform and unbiased tool or Detention Screening Instrument (DSI).
Although detention facilities are intended to temporarily house youth who are likely to re-offend before their trial or who are unlikely to appear for their court date, many youth held pretrial do not meet these criteria. Studies have shown that the inappropriate use of detention can contribute to future delinquency.
Since July 1, 2008, the DSI has guided decisions about whether a juvenile is placed in a secure facility, a detention alternative, or released to a parent or guardian. The group continues to hold monthly DSI meetings to discuss any problems or concerns. The group is also working to ensure that the objective screening tool helps prevent racial or other bias from determining a youth’s path into and through the juvenile justice system.
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