Topic: Juvenile Justice

Juvenile Justice Director raises the question: What about the children?

By Terry McMoore | May 23, 2008 |

The citizens of Clarksville were treated to a wealth of information at a recent community forum hosted by the Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Task Force. The program was held at the Clarksville - Montgomery County Public Library and included a reception for speakers and guests. Ms. Debrah Stafford, Juvenile Justice Director for the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, opened the forum with a strong power point presentation titled What About the Children?

Every day in America, 540 children are arrested for various crimes, though in many cases there are mitigating situations that cause these children to come in contact with the system. Ms. Stafford suggests that we must not be “in such a hurry” to just lock up a child.

One major finding by juvenile justice professionals is that more attention should be paid to the mental heath of the child. Children in juvenile justice often have mental health and substance abuse problems, have a higher percentage of learning disabilities, have frequent histories of trauma abuse/neglect, violence in the home, and/or have parents with substance abuse problems.

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Tennessee Juvenile Justice Director to speak at community forum

By Terry McMoore | May 5, 2008 |

Debrah Stafford, Juvenile Justice Director for the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth will be the special guest speaker at a Community Forum Sponsored by Clarksville-Montgomery County Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Task Force on Monday, May 12, at 6 p.m. at the Montgomery County Public Library.

The Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Task Force was put together by a Tennessee executive order to look at the overrepresentation of minority youth in secure confinement and to come up with ways to reduce these numbers as well as reducing the numbers of all juveniles that come into the system as a hold.

The Clarksville-Montgomery County DMC Task Force is one of only 5 task forces that exist throughout the state of Tennessee.

• Did you know that 3 out of every 5 kids are in the Juvenile Justice system?
• Why are so many youths getting into trouble?
• Is Your Child Taking Drugs?
• Gang Problems?
• Single Parent Need Help?

This program will explain what services are available to help parents before kids get into the system and much more.

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Judge Orders 45 Children Removed From Chad Youth Enrichment Center After Second Death.

By Terry McMoore | June 25, 2007 |

From The Philadelphia Enquirer

The Chad Youth Enhancement Center of Montgomery County TN., a non-custodial placement, 50-bed residential treatment center for youth who have a significant history of emotional and behavioral problems has been informed by Philadelphia, Pa. officials to prepare for the immediate removal and relocation of 45 children from their facility following the recent death of Omega Leach III the second death at this facility in little less than two years.

They have frozen their admission process to Chad pending further investigation, as so ordered by Kevin Dougherty, administrative judge of Philadelphia Family Court. «Read the rest of this article»

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Lawyer Hired by Family of Dead Teen at Chad Youth Enrichment Center

By Terry McMoore | June 24, 2007 |

Omega Leach III‎ became the second youth, in little less than two years, to die at the Chad Youth Enrichment Center located in Clarksville-Montgomery County, TN.

The Family has hired lawyer, Edith Pearce, who has appeared on numerous talk shows, represented numerous clients, while also winning many cases of personal injury to the tune of several multi-million dollar awards.

Jim McDevitt, a private investigator from Philadelphia, Pa who is among the team hired by the attorney representing the family of Mr. Leach, was in Clarksville, TN recently. Mr. McDevitt, along with a dozen other organizations investigating the Chad Youth Enrichment Center, spoke with this writer and I was surprised to learn that Omega Leach III, may have suffered a severe brain injury during this ordeal, which has been omitted thus far and is contrary to the reports of this child dying of an apparent heart attack while being subdued by staff members of the Chad Youth Enrichment Center.

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Following Second Death, Parents Remove Children from Chad Youth Enhancement Center

By Terry McMoore | June 10, 2007 |

“I find it very strange that two healthy teens suddenly drop dead upon being restrained for unruliness by staff members at this facility. Something does not sound right about these deaths and we intend to do a full investigation to not only get to the bottom of the truth but to make sure that the current youths housed at this facility are not being subjected to physical or life threatening abuse at the hands of staff members.” Comments from Urban Resource Center Director Terry McMoore to the media following the death of 17 year old Omega Leach. «Read the rest of this article»

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