Shelby Co. Juvenile Court judge blasts sheriff on care of kids in custody
The head of Shelby County Juvenile Court said Sheriff Floyd Bonner and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office must provide better care for the children and teenagers who are behind bars at the Shelby County Youth Justice and Education Center at 3420 Old Getwell Road. The head of Shelby County Juvenile Court, Tarik Sugarmon, has called for better care for children and teenagers held in custody at the Shelby County Youth Justice and Education Center at 3420 Old Getwell Road. He accused Sheriff Floyd Bonner and SCSO of denying young offenders parental visits, quality educational opportunities, and activities outside in the sun. Sugarmson said that SCSO hasn't allowed in-person visitation at the county’s youth corrections facility in four years, not since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis and nine other non-profits have also sent a letter to Sheriff Bonner listing four concerns about the newly-opened $28 million juvenile jail. The Shelby County Sheriff’“Office" has not responded to the requests for collaboration on a plan to improve the detention center, instead offering information about the many programs in place to help youth heal, be inspired, to learn, and to keep them out of the criminal justice system.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Lydian Kennin, Joyce Peterson in
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - No more excuses. The head of Shelby County Juvenile Court said Sheriff Floyd Bonner and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office must provide better care for the children and teenagers who are behind bars at the Shelby County Youth Justice and Education Center at 3420 Old Getwell Road.
Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon joined 10 non-profit agencies accusing Sheriff Bonner and SCSO of denying young offenders parental visits, quality educational opportunities, and activities outside in the sun.
Sugarmon said SCSO hasn’t allowed in-person visitation at the county’s youth corrections facility in four years, not since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The judge called it “harmful to children and the community at large” in a letter sent Thursday, April 4, to the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, just days after the BCCM and nine other non-profits sent a letter to Sheriff Bonner listing four concerns about the newly-opened $28 million juvenile jail:
• None No advocacy groups allowed to meet with the kids
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office wrote back, denying the need for collaboration on a plan to improve the detention center and instead offering information “about the many programs in place to help our youth heal, be inspired, to learn, and to find new paths that we hope will keep them out of the criminal justice system.”
Brandy J. Flynn, a mental health specialist who started her career working in a residential facility for children, told Action News 5 that kids in custody need human contact with loved ones, daily schooling and fresh air, sunshine, and exercise to succeed.
“Are you rehabilitating them?” she asked, “or are you just keeping them stuck? From the parents to the doctors, the therapists to the educators to the recreational therapists, it takes everybody to really be involved in implementing ways for the child to become better.”
During an exclusive tour before the jail opened last year, Asst. Chief Takeitha Tuggle told Action News 5 that she looked forward to more classrooms and more outdoor activities since the new facility was much larger and more modern than the old juvenile jail inside Shelby County Juvenile Court on Adams Avenue.
“We don’t want them to feel like they’re in a dungeon,” she said.
But those services are on hold Thursday because SCSO said it doesn’t have enough staff to care for the 110 kids currently held there.
”Right now, the population at juvenile court is a challenge for us,” said Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner, “I think our actual numbers were projected to be around 60 or so... so to have 100 or more in custody presents a different challenge for us.”
“Population size is not an excuse,” he wrote in his letter, “The center is below maximum capacity, which is 144. Only 50-60% of students have been allowed to attend school. We desire 90-95%.”
He went on to say that SCSO needs 18 dedicated staff members to make daily school attendance a reality. That works out to an 8:1 staffing ratio in each of the jail’s nine classrooms.
Unless SCSO makes changes quickly, Brandy Flynn said hope dims for the children the center is supposed to help.
“So, if they’re just stuck, then that’s what they’re going to continue to be: stuck,” she said, “And once they’re released, best believe nine times out of 10, they’re going to come back and may come back worse than they did the first time they were there.”
Judge Sugarmon said Juvenile Court ordered SCSO to resume in-person visits in February. Two months later, SCSO said it’s waiting on information about who should be allowed to visit.
“I think the hangup right now,” said Chief Deputy Buckner, “is making sure that we understand from the court who they let visit these youth that are in custody. We’re not privy to that information. Certainly, we don’t want to have a kid in custody on some type of welfare case and we allow an abuser to visit with that child.”
Virtual visitation isn’t available yet because the SCSO staff hasn’t been trained on how to use the technology.
Buckner also said he believes a “fence issue” and cold weather are the reasons why the kids aren’t allowed outside.
Click here to sign up for our newsletter!
Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.
Topics: Law Enforcement