HB 0012 Juvenile Detention Facilities: Admissions Criteria
AN ACT relating to juvenile detention; requiring a risk assessment for alleged delinquent minors as specified; requiring sheriffs to approve juvenile detention risk assessment instruments; providing definitions; requiring a report; and providing for an effective date.
WITHOUT THE ADDITION OF SPECIFIC UNIFORM BEST PRACTICES ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS WE WILL OPPOSE THIS BILL. THIS BILL SIMPLY CONTINUES THE INEFFECTIVE “SYSTEM” OF DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH JUVENILES WITH NO OVERSIGHT AND NO ACCOUNTABLILITY. THIS GIVES UNFETTERED DESCRETION TO SHERIFFS AND PROVIDES NO SOLUTION TO ANY OF THE MULTITUDE OF PROBLEMS WYOMING HAS IN DEALING WITH JUVENILES.
Updates:
2/18 - This bill has passed as written and is now on General File.
3/9 - This bill passed with the inclusion of both the words uniform and best practices and will go into effect on 7/1/10. There continues to be some push back from local officials on the use of these types of assessments. One of the difficulties for many counties is that regardless of what the outcome of the assessment is there are few alternatives for placement of juveniles; the state must continue to work on providing counties with the direction and funding to establish appropriate placements for youth.
