Riley signs juvenile justice bill

Gov. Bob Riley signed bipartisan juvenile justice reform legislation Monday that will keep more nonviolent young offenders out of jail.

In addition to modernizing Alabama's juvenile justice laws, the legislation shifts the focus of handling most nonviolent juvenile offenders from jail to community-based programs that can keep them with their families.

"Today Alabama's juvenile justice system is flooded with low-risk children in expensive institutions," Riley said.

"Many of those children have never even committed a crime."

Riley said 79 percent of the children in the Department of Youth Services system two years ago were locked up for nonviolent behavior.

Under the new law, those deemed "children in need of supervision" who have committed nonviolent offenses such as truancy, missing curfew and running away from home will no longer be locked up. They'll be sent to community programs designed to change their behavior, Riley said.

Attending the bill signing were Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, House Speaker Seth Hammett, bill sponsors Sen. Myron Penn, D-Union Springs, and Rep. Tammy Irons, D-Florence.

"This is an amazing day for the children of Alabama," Cobb said.

Cobb said she asked Irons to sponsor the legislation.

"She learned that bill from one end to the other," Cobb said.

Violent youths will be locked up by the Department of Youth Services because community safety is still the paramount focus of the system, according to officials. One reason to keep nonviolent children out of jail is to prevent their exposure to older juveniles who may be hardened criminals.

A typical child in the new program might be a truant or maybe is stealing things from the mall or is a 16-year-old who is doing drugs.

"It ends our shameful practice of putting children in adult lockup," Irons said.

Retired Morgan County District Judge David Breland was tapped to start the new program in each county.

Requiring a "philosophy change," the new law will allow some juveniles to bypass the Department of Youth Services and enter community programs.

Riley said not only will the program save money, but it also will help keep juveniles and families together.

The Department of Youth Services in 2007 spent an average of $131 per day on offenders for an average of 79 days each. Starting in fiscal 2010, costs could be from $100 to $200 per day for offenders in the care of the Department of Human Resources. County expenses could decrease by between $84 and $140 per day.

Most provisions of the new law will take effect Jan. 1.

Dana Beyerle can be reached at (334) 264-6605 or dtb12345@aol.com.