What do you do with a kid who's in trouble with the law? That's a question that Sixth Judicial District and Juvenile Probation personnel have to answer every day. The story of how they answer that question will be the subject of a series of articles starting this week on the efforts of the Sixth Judicial District and the Juvenile Probation Department to take a young person headed for trouble and help him or her change a negative direction into a positive future.
A presentation to Humboldt County Commissioners in July told the story of China Springs (boys) and Aurora Pines (girls) youth camps for juvenile offenders. Youth sent to China Springs or Aurora Pines have committed crimes that would be considered felonies if they were adults. If they successfully complete the six-month program at the camp, they come away with a clean record.
However, Humboldt, Lander, and Pershing counties send a relatively small percentage of their juvenile offenders to the China Springs or Aurora Pines programs. Those programs represent just one of an array of alternatives the Sixth Judicial District judges, Juvenile Court Master and Juvenile Probation Department have to choose from when they try to decide what to do with a kid in trouble with the law.
The coming series will explore programs for youth who are actually incarcerated at the juvenile detention center - including residential teen drug and alcohol treatment, anger management, community service work crew, group and individual counseling and the Mandt training program for juvenile probation personnel. The series will also outline programs available for youth under different levels of supervision by juvenile probation officers, including the following:
• School at the juvenile detention centers in all three counties
• PASS alternative education program
• Saturday school/summer school
• Project MAGIC (Making A Group and Individual Committment)
• Parenting classes
• Evening Reporting
• Juvenile drug court/diversion court,
• Teen court
• Truancy court
• Girl's Club
• Division of Child and Family Services programs
• Foster care
Sixth Judicial District Judges Richard Wagner and Mike Montero, along with the probation officers and staff of the Sixth Judicial District Juvenile Probation Department have made kids and famlies the focus of their efforts for many years.
The number and variety of programs available to help youth and families and the committment of the people who work with youth in the community are offering young people a chance at a positive future and the skills to make it happen.
The series, "Juvenile Justice - Chances for Change" will focus on the programs and people of the Sixth Judicial District and Juvenile Probation Department.
[[In-content Ad]]When school starts in Humboldt County on Aug. 25, Sixth Judicial District Judge Michael Montero and the truancy advisory board will be ramping up for their fourth year of involvement in a program that's been very successful at keeping kids in school - all the way through graduation.
Montero said he started truancy court in conjunction with the schools in an effort to address a problem he was seeing in his courtroom - adults coming through the court system who'd started their law-breaking as juveniles and dropouts.
"I thought, maybe there's a way we can try to work on truancy and dropping out of school; maybe we could get a handle on it before the kids become adults, maybe we could change their path," Montero explained.
Humboldt County School District Superintendent Dave Jensen was approached by Montero about the program.
"He approached the district with the concept and the board of trustees unanimously approved it," said Jensen. "The goal of truancy court is to target kids who are missing school as quickly as we can to intervene for success."
The framework for a truancy program is in the law. Nevada Revised Statutes allow each school district to have a Truancy Advisory Board.
"In the past I think they tried to do this, but what I did was design it after some models I found in other states," Montero explained. "We identify students if they have three unexcused absences and get them before the truancy advisory board, which includes school officials, administration, a school board member, the school resource officer and counselors, community members and law enforcement."
Ray Parks, a former adminstrator at Winnemucca Junior High, and this year, principal of Lowry High School has been chairman of the Truancy Advisory Committee since it started.
"A student gets a truancy notice when they have an unexcused absence for even one period (in junior high or high school) or one day (for elementary school)," explained Parks. "On a third truancy a citation is written and they have to go see Juvenile Court Master Sam Matheny."
A truancy citation includes a fine and a loss of a drivers license or the inability to get a drivers license. The fine goes up for each additional truancy once a student has been cited, according to Matheny.
The truancy advisory committee members serve a two-year term and many are repeatedly reappointed. The committee meets every two weeks.
"I do a report before the meeting on students who have a truancy problem," Parks said. "I put in their attendance history, and their school performance, then turn it over to Juvenile Probation Officer Collette Hansen who does a home visit and tries to learn why the student is truant."
Next, the student and parents appear before the Truancy Advisory Committee. Committee members talk with the student and parents to try and find out why school's being missed. Are there transportation issues? Health issues? Economic problems? Social or bullying issues? Is there a language barrier? Is the student so far behind academically that they've given up? Is there a lack of respect for education?
Jensen said the ultimate goal is to keep students in school.
"Any time you sit through truancy advisory committee meetings you get a clear understanding that everything there is done for the benefit of the child," said Jensen. "Ultimately, the effort is to make sure they keep coming to school so they can graduate."
Montero agreed, saying the program is meant to help, not necessarily punish.
"We're really trying to help families, not necessarily to punish students," said Montero. "We're trying to get at the root of why kids aren't in school. We find out what's causing the absences and do what we can to help address any issues we can. Maybe this student just needs encouragement; if attendance improves, that may be the end of it."
The student meets with the advisory committee two weeks later. If they have been in school, that's great, if not, the next step may be a determination by the advisory committee as to whether a student may benefit from going to truancy court.
Truancy court is voluntary; students and parents have to consent to appear and then to abide by the rules set by the court.
If the student or parents reject involvement in truancy court, the juvenile is cited, fined, loses his/her drivers license and the citation goes on a permanent record.
If the child and parents agree to truancy court, and abide by its rules, the truancy citation and sanctions go away and never go on their permanent record.
Truancy court requires a juvenile to appear before Judge Montero at 7:30 in the morning once a week, accompanied by one or both parents. A core group of volunteers are with the judge in court - administration from the school, a representative from juvenile probation, a drug and alcohol counselor, sometimes law enforcement, a community member and possibly someone from the district attorney's office and the Department of Child and Family Services.
"The kid has to come and report to me," said Montero. If the student has been in school every day since the previous week's report, fine, if not, "they have to explain to me why they're not going to school," Montero said. "I get Power School reports and if they miss three class periods they have to explain to me."
"We try to meet with them every week for five to 10 weeks," Montero said. "If they're doing well, we acknowledge that. If truancy continues, they'll be required to do after school programs."
Those after school programs may involve tutoring, or detention, possibly Saturday school. Sometimes counseling is part of the help offered, or intervention programs for teens, and even sometimes for parents.
"We might require an added level of supervision at home," Montero added. "Sometimes, if their truancy is connected to the people they've been hanging around with, we tell them they're not allowed to associate with that person, or those friends, or an older person who's not in school."
"We make an effort to keep things positive when we can," said Montero. "If they abide by the rules that are set, the reward could be not having to come back to court. A lot of it is recognition of their efforts and bosting their morale and self esteem."
Parks said the program has helped kids graduate who otherwise wouldn't "because there are so many people checking on them. You can see attitudes change."
"For a good portion of kids, it has proven to be successful; when they don't miss school they don't get behind, they have a better chance of understanding the material that's being taught and they don't get discouraged," Parks said.
"We've had testimonials from kids saying 'If not for truancy court, I would have dropped out,'" added Jensen. "And parents have backed that up."
Montero said the juveniles are required to keep a calendar and a journal as part of the court program.
"The goal of all of it is to get them to graduate from truancy court so they don't have to come back Wednesday mornings," Montero said. "It can be a real burden on them and their parents. While they're in the program, they have some pretty intensive supervision. Someone from the Juvenile Probation Department can be going to their home and checking up on them."
Montero said some teens just don't have good role models and so they may try to pair them up with someone who can encourage them to pursue their education.
"We have juveniles I've ordered to come to the courthouse and do their homework; sometimes there's been someone on my staff that they can relate to, then we get the added benefit of them doing their work and having a mentor."
While truancy court usually deals with junior high and high school students, they're not the only ones who are truant.
"We've had everything from fourth-graders to high school seniors," Montero commented.
With the younger students, the focus usually shifts from them to their parents. The truancy advisory committee and Montero work with the parents to find out what it is that's keeping them from getting their child to school. Sometimes the underlying problem is easily addressed, sometimes it's serious enough to require the involvement of law enforcement or the Division of Child and Family Services.
The bottom line is helping kids stay in school, and the people involved in the Truancy Advisory Committee and truancy court are totally committed.
"Judge Montero fits truancy court work into a very busy schedule," commented Jensen. "He has an amazing work ethic and energy level."
Parks seconded those comments, saying, "It's been phenomenal and Judge Montero has put in so much additional time." Parks said Montero calls truancy court "theraputic court."
"Sometimes there are family issues and we can help, sometimes older students just need to see somebody cares," Montero said.
