ATLANTA | Parents and youths who are not happy with how the juvenile justice system operates now have someone to listen to them.
The Department of Juvenile Justice announced the Office of the Ombudsman last week. Through this new position, Commissioner Avery D. Niles hopes teens in the juvenile justice system and their families will have an easy path to problem resolution.
“The ombudsman position is DJJ’s agency-wide ‘problem-solver,’ responsible for reviewing complaints related to the treatment of youth, examining their grievances for policy compliance and attempting to resolve all claims in a fair and judicious manner for our residents,” he said in a press release.
The Juvenile Justice Reforms law, enacted Jan. 1, aims to remove low-level offenders — including truants, runaways or other nonviolent delinquents — from detention facilities and help the ones left to receive therapy or counseling to avoid further arrests. Making these changes reduces costs and concentrates the resources on those remaining.
In the past, the department has faced understaffing and high turnover rates. In turn, these issues make it harder to maintain the correct officer-to-youth ratio, according to a performance review from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts, resulting in a less safe environment.
Gang-related issues, fights and officer misconduct were reported in facilities across the state, with a disproportionately high number in the Augusta Youth Development Campus. Investigating these problems would continue to be handled internally, but the ombudsman offers another path for these cases.
Most grievances crossing the ombudsman’s desk will come from outside the department, including concerns from parents and family members, but inmates can submit complaints if they believe a previously filed complaint was not addressed properly.
Debbie Carter will be the ombudsman, and she believes the office’s creation adds to other resources in the department. Most cases she handles will be simple and easily resolved, she said, such as a mistake in visitation forms. This office simplifies contact between the Department of Juvenile Justice and families, Carter said, and she looks forward to building trust between the two groups.
“I’m hoping the parents and the youths will feel more comfortable because they do have this single point of contact,” she said. “I’m hoping that by having this unit, we can kind of just form a relationship with the public and parents so they can see we are here for fairness.”
The Department of Juvenile Justice announced the Office of the Ombudsman last week. Through this new position, Commissioner Avery D. Niles hopes teens in the juvenile justice system and their families will have an easy path to problem resolution.
“The ombudsman position is DJJ’s agency-wide ‘problem-solver,’ responsible for reviewing complaints related to the treatment of youth, examining their grievances for policy compliance and attempting to resolve all claims in a fair and judicious manner for our residents,” he said in a press release.
The Juvenile Justice Reforms law, enacted Jan. 1, aims to remove low-level offenders — including truants, runaways or other nonviolent delinquents — from detention facilities and help the ones left to receive therapy or counseling to avoid further arrests. Making these changes reduces costs and concentrates the resources on those remaining.
In the past, the department has faced understaffing and high turnover rates. In turn, these issues make it harder to maintain the correct officer-to-youth ratio, according to a performance review from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts, resulting in a less safe environment.
Gang-related issues, fights and officer misconduct were reported in facilities across the state, with a disproportionately high number in the Augusta Youth Development Campus. Investigating these problems would continue to be handled internally, but the ombudsman offers another path for these cases.
Most grievances crossing the ombudsman’s desk will come from outside the department, including concerns from parents and family members, but inmates can submit complaints if they believe a previously filed complaint was not addressed properly.
Debbie Carter will be the ombudsman, and she believes the office’s creation adds to other resources in the department. Most cases she handles will be simple and easily resolved, she said, such as a mistake in visitation forms. This office simplifies contact between the Department of Juvenile Justice and families, Carter said, and she looks forward to building trust between the two groups.
“I’m hoping the parents and the youths will feel more comfortable because they do have this single point of contact,” she said. “I’m hoping that by having this unit, we can kind of just form a relationship with the public and parents so they can see we are here for fairness.”