Partnership targets at-risk youth

Local News

Related Photos

Lisa Simpson Strange

Discussion

September 21, 2009

By LISA SIMPSON STRANGE The Glasgow Daily Times Mon Sep 21, 2009, 12:37 PM CDT

GLASGOW — A new partnership will help local law enforcement better deal with this area’s troubled youth.

The Barren County Sheriff’s Office will be working more closely with the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to provide additional supervision for local juvenile offenders following the signing of an agreement between the two agencies on Tuesday.

The Department of Juvenile Justice initiated the Juvenile Intensive Intensive Supervision Team (JIST) program in 1998 to allow DJJ community workers to collaborate with local law enforcement officials in supervising youth probated or committed to the department by the court system, according to information provided by DJJ.

The program, which was based on an initiative begun in Boston, was created to give increased supervision to probated youth considered to be at high risk.

Barren County Sheriff Chris Eaton and several other local Barren County officials and representatives of the DJJ met in Barren Circuit Court at 10 a.m. Tuesday to finalize the partnership between the two entities.

Eaton said DJJ contacted him about participating in the program and, after he did some research, he realized it was a great opportunity because of its emphasis on local youth who are at risk.

Department of Juvenile Justice Commissioner J. Ronald Haws, Deputy Commissioner of Community and Mental Health Sherre Smith-Jones, District Supervisor for Barren County Bruce Jennings and Director of Community and Mental Health Services Miranda Denny were among state officials who were present for the signing. Barren County Judge-Executive Davie Greer, District Judge John Alexander and County Attorney Jeff Sharp joined Eaton to represent the county.

Smith-Jones told the group the JIST program has been a successful method of keeping abreast of individuals who might otherwise get lost in the system and the mindset is not to just catch juveniles, but to find a way to prevent additional criminal activity.

Local law enforcement officers are given the opportunity to get to know juveniles a lot better and DJJ workers are allowed to go into homes more easily when they are partnered with officers, she said.

“It is a partnership,” Smith-Jones said. “It has grown and been successful in other parts of the state and we hope it will continue to grow. You will find it will be beneficial to you (in Barren County) as well as the Department of Juvenile Justice and we want this to be a long-term partnership.”

Eaton said he was pleased to have this additional avenue to work with juveniles and also wants the program to be successful locally.

“I was just ecstatic they chose us to partner with them because the youth are this community’s future” Eaton said.

Julie Younkin is the DJJ community caseworker assigned to work with the sheriff’s office. She will be working out of the department’s Bowling Green office and will partner locally with Deputy Bobby McCown.

Text Only

Local News

AFTERNOON UPDATE: Police investigate stabbing
4:04 p.m.: A Glasgow man was arrested in connection with a stabbing on East Cherry Street on Friday morning.

February 3, 2012
OBITUARY UPDATE: Audrey Wyatt
Audrey Wyatt - GLASGOW

February 3, 2012
ELLIS UPDATE: Lawmakers closer on new district mapping
Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Thursday that lawmakers in the Republican Senate and Democratic House are close to an agreement on re-drawing the congressional district map.

February 3, 2012
MORNING UPDATE: 911 report
February 3, 2012
Bill would amend absentee voting rules
The filing deadlines for those intending to run for governmental office in 2012 has been extended to Feb. 7, but those who have already filed are gearing up to start campaigning again for votes.

February 3, 2012
Shepherd brings legislature to a stop
Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd not only put on hold the filing deadline for candidates for state House and Senate districts — he effectively shut down the business of the General Assembly.

February 2, 2012
Band is ‘Unpredictable’
With The Unpredictables, anything can happen.

February 2, 2012
MORNING UPDATE: 911 report
February 2, 2012
Woman charged with drug offenses
An eastern Kentucky woman was arrested Monday by Glasgow police on drug charges.

February 2, 2012
T-ville woman dies after wreck
Kentucky State Police units from Post 15 in Columbia are investigating a collision that occurred Wednesday at approximately 9:42 a.m. in the limits of Tompkinsville that claimed the life of 24-year-old Tiffany Porter.

February 2, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Related Photos

Discussion

Partnership targets at-risk youth

Site Map