Governments, schools, nonprofits, and others in Scott County, Iowa want to keep children and teens out of jail. For several years, Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch has led efforts to address problems in the juvenile justice system. And this morning, he announced stakeholders will begin meeting to create a Juvenile Assessment Center.
Sarah Ott, Assistant to the Davenport City Administrator, says it would help solve common problems in juvenile cases, such as shortening the time between arrest and going before a judge.
She calls it delayed accountability.
The juvenile assessment center would take a two-pronged approach.
First, it would reduce the burden on police by taking over tasks currently performed by officers, such as calling parents and finding out whether beds are available in juvenile detention.
The center would also try to prevent children and teenagers from entering the court system by identifying their needs and connecting them with appropriate organizations and resources.
A group studying the Juvenile Assessment Center will include leadership from Scott County Kids, plus representatives from cities, police, school districts, health departments, and nonprofits.
