I don't know whether to laugh or scream

[klmno]

Since PO nor Department of Juvenile Justice facility staff could tell me any info on detention reentry program (length of stay, requirements, etc), I called the detention center used in this jurisdiction because it's suppposed to be the local detention center and they don't have a reentry programestablished yet- it's still in the planning stage and could be weeks or mos before it's finalized and during this time frame, they are not accepting boys to be transitioned there to await it's start.

So I call Department of Juvenile Justice facility and tell them and ask asst superinitendent there if he can double check that this new order is viable and for somthing that already actually exists and that they are accepting my son into it. He said he'll call me back in about an hour because he can look into that part.

Then I google it and what pops up? A general assembly thing from the state senators dateed Jan 11, 2012, stating they are directing the joint commission to study tthee viability of implementing detention reentry programs for juvies in the state to comoplete the last 30-90 days of their sentence. So let's see, what are the odds that in the past 4 weeks that sudy was completed and deemed viable and passed into law and set up at the ddetention centers? And doesn't it say for boys who are completing their sentences? They had already signedf off that difficult child completed his sentence.

 

[buddy]

OH good grief Alice... you really need to get out of this crazy Wonderland you have fallen into!

 

[InsaneCdn]

The story isn't over yet...
Wonder what's in the next chapter?

 

[klmno]

Well the one thing that is now clear is that detention reentry is a program with set guidelines and they don't have that in place at our local detention center. I guess they can see if a neighboring jurisdiction has one. But if PO thought "detention reentry" meant difficult child would sit in a local detention center for some undetermined amount of time without a court order or an established, structured reentry program to work his way thru, he'll have to think again. If there's an established reentry program, that means PO can't call the shots if difficult child is working that program successfully. If there's not one around here, I don't think there are any other options except him shooting for a halfway house and according to what I found in state law, that takes a court approval, too. It's getting a little funny to me that he hasn't pursued a court order already but if he can't without getting difficult child back into this jurisdiction and a detention center doesn't have a reentry program, he can only hold difficult child in detention if difficult child has a court order for charges or is subpeonad (sp) for court for something else. A kid held in detention has to go before a judge within 1 to 2 days for a judge to determine if should remain incarcerated.

I'm wondering at what point the Department of Juvenile Justice facility gets frustrated because they have to jump thru hoops preparing for PO's orders that turn out to not be viable options.

 

[InsaneCdn]

I'm guessing you never intended to become an expert on Department of Juvenile Justice, re-entry programs, etc.!

 

[klmno]

Oh I wrote all those suggestions to the general assembly already. LOL! But no, when difficult child was born i sure had no idea this was in my future....good thing for him, too!

They have passed some useful laws the past couple of years and are exploring more, like detention reentry as a motivator and step-down the last 1-3 mos of a sentence. The problem, in my humble opinion, is holding POs feet to the fire to make sure these things are carried out responsibly.

For instance, "group home" isn't sufficient to be called a MH treatment plan. That's a placement decision. What about seeing a therapist or something?

 

[susiestar]

I just hope you can get this before a judge who is sane enough to see that Department of Juvenile Justice said the sentence was completed, that PO and his super flat out refused to even discuss this or any options other than this post-d group home that is NOT reentry and is another open ended punishment for crimes that Department of Juvenile Justice said he had already paid for, and that all this PO really wants is to "win" and keep difficult child locked up indefinitely for no reason and the judge not only sends difficult child home, but also gives you a restraining order saying PO and supervisor can't come with-in 1000 yards of difficult child.

Have you been able to talk to difficult child at all about this? He has to be so upset, this entire thing is cruel and is completely the fault of PO being too lazy, power hungry and self involved.

 

[klmno]

He called last night and said he'd been told he wasn't being released today and the new plan is that he goes to detention. About that time- 2 mins into the conversation- he said he had to go because someone just came up to him but he'd call me back. He didn't call back. Around 9:30pm a staff called to tell me a boy had approached and hit difficult child while difficult child was on the phone and they had given difficult child medication tx but they thought he'd be ok. I asked if difficult child retaliated and if he got into any trouble and she said no- he didn't do anything because he told staff "he wants to come home".

 

[InsaneCdn]

completely the fault of PO being too lazy, power hungry and self involved.

Aw, come on, Susie... Give the poor PO a break. There ARE other options, including...
Maybe he's never had to deal with a cross-jurisdictional case before, and it just totally messes up every procedure he's been given, and he doesn't have the creative brainpower to THINK?
(I'd stick most of the blame to PO and the rest to those he reports to...)

 

[klmno]

Exactly- it's one thing for PO not to know what he's doing, but what about his super..and the director of this CSU...and the person in the central Department of Juvenile Justice office who's supposed to be overseeing all csu personnel? That's what instigated a lot of my letters. And what happens to those boys who don't have parents watching at all?

I have no doubt that PO will present all this to difficult child that "if I'd just signed over custody to GH he wouldn't have to go thru all this". If I'd signed that, difficult child would either age out in the GH or be back in Department of Juvenile Justice....and my guess is a recommitment just so difficult child could get out of there.

PO seems adamant about keeping difficult child out of the home...I just can't see why others in Department of Juvenile Justice aren't asking themselves if he had good reason for that, why isn't he taking it before a judge or calling cps or why wasn't it in any previous court order?

 

[InsaneCdn]

Perhaps the poor PO is Aspie, and is getting "stuck"?

 

[klmno]

still no call back re whether or not there is a local detention reentry program that plans to accept difficult child soon. Hmmm....am I being cut out of info or are they still trying to find out? And why was the order issued without finding out first?

 

[InsaneCdn]

Why? Because they don't know what to do with a kid who's case didn't START in their own jurisdiction.
YOU moved. Therefore, difficult child moved. Therefore, YOU just messed up their entire system real good and proper.
They can't do what they usually do.... no judge to take things before, because the case wasn't HERE.

I'm guessing there's loose hair flying all over those offices, and any hair that isn't flying is rapidly turning grey!

 

[DaisyFace]

Any chance you could get an emergency order of some kind from Family Court?

If he has completed his sentence...then it should just be a matter of enforcing your custody rights - right?

 

[klmno]

Then they have no choice but to return difficult child to me unless/until he gets new charges or violates parole. Now when are they going to figure that out? The Department of Juvenile Justice facility doesn't want to keep him there much longer because he finished his tx and time requirements so it's messing up the way they assign kids to units. Hopefully, they'll start applying a little pressure on PO to come up with a place that actually will take difficult child, legally, or return him home.

 

[klmno]

I tried- state police, magistrate, and juvie court won't hear a thing about it until difficult child is actually released and returned to this jurisdiction because difficult child has no outstanding charges or pending court hearings. I tried to stress the fact that if it was a "person" witholding my son from my custody, they would step in but since it's Department of Juvenile Justice, they are ignoring it. They didn't seem to care- the magistrate told me to get an attny. I tried and have waited all day for another attny to call me back. Attnys don't want to touch cases like this though because most of them in this state got their start as GALs and it would require them going up against the AG, who'd be there to represent Department of Juvenile Justice. And that would cost me a ton of money. I called reporters and they don't seem overly interested.

 

[klmno]

Funny thing- in the old jurisdiction they would have been telling me to go get difficult child on his release date or they'd file abandonment charges.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Curious... is there any one in the old Jurisdiction that can help?

 

[klmno]

No- because difficult child wasn't required to return to court for a review (they include that in some cases but not his) and I no longer live there so his case his closed as far as they are concerned, officially documented that way at the time I paid his restitution off. And they have no jurisdiction over this csu. To me, all this lack of court access proves there is no reason to keep this hanging in limbo. Either PO has reason to claim abuse or something (which isn't the case) and takes a valid reason to court or he needs to move on. If I was PO, I'd let the kid come home but the first thing out of kelter would be reason to take it to a judge. This is pure stubbornness and retaliation and intimidation, in my humble opinion.

 

[klmno]

OK, rec'd call back from counselor & super at Department of Juvenile Justice facility ( not the asst superintendent). Super says a few years ago they did have a detention reentry program in this area so she believes there is one. The current status is that they have to wait for PO to make referral for funding and get it approved and detention center assigned. They don't know how long that will take.

What I found was that this detention center used to go under a different name and used to have a detention center but it stopped because of funding cuts. Now it has new funding but the "new" detention reentry plan is sstill in the plan and development stage. She seems to think the one that usded to be here is still running. I guess we'll sit here a few weeks waiting to find out for sure after funding committee looks to see if they have one and if difficult child qualifies..

I asked what the order said- if it said this program for a reunification plan or if it was to give time for another placement to be found. She said neither- there was no order- just a placement decision. Well I'm not shocked.