BY B.G. GREGG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The leaders of Hamilton County's juvenile justice system told two U.S. senators in Cincinnati on Monday that the federal government must spend more money on juvenile courts or risk their becoming a "farm team" for adult courts and prisons.
Early intervention is the key to stopping a life of crime, Judge David E. Grossmann of Hamilton County Juvenile Court said at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on youth violence.
"The issues must be confronted as early as possible," he said. "A child who is missing school at the primary level is going to be a problem child.
"We have the opportunity to address those multiple-needs children and their families early. . . . If we don't, then we're the great farm team for the adult systems."
Sens. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, and Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., held the subcommittee hearing, called "Juvenile Courts in the 21st Century," to learn more about the nationally recognized Hamilton County Juvenile Court.
The senators heard 2 1/2 hours of testimony about the county's court system, juvenile facility, school for delinquents, relationship with social service agencies, computer system for tracking juveniles, the typical offender and the state's juvenile record keeping. "Your system, if not a perfect model, is a doggone good model for what this country's juvenile systems should be," Mr. Sessions said.
Mr. DeWine said that, while there has been a drop in the past few years, juvenile crime is still a serious problem.
"From 1985 to 1995, the number of juveniles arrested for violent crimes surged 67 percent," he said. "More than 2.7 million children are arrested every year; 1.9 million children are victims of crime." Mr. Sessions and Mr. DeWine have proposed the Violent and Repeat Juvenile Offenders Act, which would make $500 million available in each of the next five years for states to spend on building juvenile facilities, improving record keeping and communication in the juvenile system, and drug testing for juvenile offenders.
"We need serious reform or the system is in doubt," Mr. Sessions said. "The juvenile court system really has got the short end of the stick in terms of funding."
Hamilton County Juvenile Judge Sylvia Sieve Hendon agreed. "If we don't do something, then all we've done is grow the next generation of criminals," she said.
