Taking NC juvenile justice to the next level, The Asheville Citizen Times

December 2012

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As the first name in second chances, Eckerd has been a leader in serving families and communities in North Carolina for more than 30 years.

My parents, Jack and Ruth Eckerd, founded this organization to provide innovative and impactful services and supports for children and families. Now, most longtime North Carolina citizens have a friend or family member that has been impacted by an Eckerd program and it is time to take juvenile justice services in the state to the next level.

As we head into a new administration and new legislative session, it is imperative that we take a step back and look at both the improvements we have made as a state and also what progress we have the opportunity to make at this time.

Recently, the N.C. Division of Juvenile Justice has lead the charge in transforming services for juvenile justice youth in North Carolina from that of residential programs far from home to those that are community-based. This follows national research and best practice — it keeps the youth at home, connected to their communities and allows professionals to work with and support the family as a whole, not just the individual youth. This has led to better outcomes and shorter lengths of involvement in the system. All at a lower cost to the state and taxpayers.

Eckerd is proud to be a part of this transformative effort and serves hundreds of youths across the state, but it is critical that the legislature continue to invest in these programs.

We’ve come a long way but we also have an opportunity to do better. This administration and legislature has the ability to further transform the North Carolina juvenile justice to a national model reflecting a raise in the age of youth convicted as adult criminals and a community-based approach where communities determine what is most needed to support their own families.

The current state law requiring that all juveniles who are 16 or 17 must be charged as an adult is antiquated and inappropriate — in fact, North Carolina is one of only two states that still have this law. Because of this, a 16-year-old who gets arrested for stealing candy from a grocery store or getting into a fight at school will be prosecuted as an adult.

These youths are often better treated in programs specifically geared toward this age group that provide the supports necessary to turn their lives around so that they can become productive adults that contribute to society. Each time a youth is incarcerated in the adult system, they are far more likely to dive deeper into the criminal justice system and become a lifetime criminal — costing taxpayers and the state. Two bills were proposed in the 2011 General Assembly to “Raise the Age” for juveniles who commit nonviolent crimes (HB 632/SB 506). These bills were not passed in that session but there is a statewide movement to raise the age and we are confident that this can happen in 2013.

“Raise the Age” and investment in community-based juvenile justice programs are two practical options to take North Carolina’s juvenile justice system to the next level. To continue my parents’ legacy, I ask that we consider what’s best for children and families in our state and listen to innovative approaches to support them.

Nancy Eckerd-Nichols lives in Highlands.