Cape officials discuss Missouri Supreme Court juvenile detention ruling

Local leaders discussed issues pertaining to a new Missouri Supreme Court ruling that changes custody rights for underage offenders Wednesday during the first of several meetings.

In April, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that as of Jan. 1, juveniles should not be held in secure detention unless they present a risk to public safety or may fail to appear in court for hearings. To help assess what measures should be taken, the court designed a checklist that evaluates whether a juvenile should be detained.

State and local officials used Wednesday's meeting at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center to lay out the new guidelines and examine what programs could be instituted for Cape Girardeau County juveniles in the criminal justice system. School and law enforcement officials were on hand, as well as representatives from Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Cape Girardeau presents an interesting situation under the new ruling because its juvenile detention center closed in October, Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative state coordinator Bob Perry said.

"This gives us an opportunity to look at the current system and see what it could be like in the future," Perry said.

Chief juvenile officer Randy Rhodes said he has received positive responses from law enforcement and other entities affected by the detention center's closure and that he was pleased to be moving forward with input from the community. Cape Girardeau is the largest Missouri community without a juvenile detention center to meet to discuss the changes, Rhodes said.

"This has been the biggest change in the juvenile system in my 27 years," Rhodes said.

For the new juvenile detention ruling to run smoothly, children must have the attention and support from someone, whether it be a judge, officer, parent or teacher, said Associate Circuit Judge Scott Lipke, who oversees the juvenile courts.

"Most of these children want someone to care about them," Lipke said.

Juveniles being suspended from school was another issue. Some have been fortunate enough to go through a program and still get credit for school work during a suspension, Lipke said, but others have been able to stay home and get in more trouble.

"We need another alternative and additional help," said Cape Girardeau School District Superintendent Jim Welker.

Lipke said schools will play a big role in any new programs that stem from the ruling, as will mentoring programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters.

The next meeting on juvenile detention alternatives will be in February, Rhodes said.

psullivan@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

1080 Silver Springs Road, Cape Girardeau, Mo.