programs

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative

Judge Adams has partnered with the Annie E. Casey Foundation to help youth involved in the juvenile justice system develop into healthy, productive adults through policies and programs that maximize their chance for success, reduce their likelihood of incarceration, and minimize the risk they pose to their communities.

Juvenile Drug Court

Judge Adams, working with LifeHelp Mental Health, has begun a juvenile drug court program that combines frequent court appearances with individual, group, and family therapeutic services to give juvenile offenders who are also habitual drug users an alternative to the traditional detention-based court program. In providing this alternative, the juveniles introduced to the program will be better able to avoid recidivism and make healthy choices in the future.

Electronic Monitoring

Judge Adams has obtained a grant to provide the Court with real-time monitoring of juveniles through an electronic gps/two-way communication ankle monitor. This allows for certain juveniles to avoid detention prior to going to court, and also serves as a post-adjudication alternative to detention, all while insuring that public safety is still paramount.

Risk Assessment Instrument
A Risk Assessment Instrument (RAI) is designed to insure that all post-arrest pre-adjudication decisions are objective and made in the best interest of the child, while still insuring that public safety is insured.

Detention Intake Officers are trained to use the RAI, but must get the Youth Court Judge's approval before applying any override which causes a detention decision different from that which the raw score would indicate.

Parenting Classes
Judge Adams has created, with LifeHelp Mental Health, a six-week program for some parents of children in the Youth Court. The program provides instruction regarding conflict resolution, drug use, alcohol use, and other issues which arise between parents and their children. By providing additional tools to parents, it is intended to help keep the children from continuing in the juvenile justice system.

Mentoring Groups
Working with partners such as the Boys and Girls Club and the Greenwood Mentoring Group, Judge Adams is designing programs which will serve as evening reporting centers and provide mentoring for at-risk youth.

Evening Reporting Centers give the court a supervised and structured program to which juveniles can be ordered to attend between school and court-ordered cufew. This helps insure that the children are kept busy and active, thus preventing them from getting in further trouble.