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County will mesh youth, adult justice Efficiency-based move could hurt kids, some elsewhere say By Dani Dodge Although it is controversial, officials plan to consolidate the county�s juvenile and community corrections department this fall, saying the move will strengthen the justice system. "I think this is an excellent step for Jackson County, but more importantly an excellent step for the kids and adults in Jackson County and the families who need help," said County Administrator Sue Slack. Some juvenile justice department directors in other counties have expressed serious concerns about consolidation of juvenile and adult corrections. They say that in the end, kids get the worst of the deal. This will be Jackson County�s third merger in the past eight years. In 1992 the roads and parks departments merged, and in 1999 the planning department merged with roads and parks. The move isn�t based on economy, but efficiency and better service, Slack said. The only savings will come with the loss of the juvenile director�s position: with salary and other compensation, that�s about $112,000 a year. Slack said with the impending resignation of Jackson County�s juvenile director, Alan Young, it was a perfect time to consider how the departments could be more efficient. Young declined comment. The consolidation occurs on Sept. 1. Community Corrections director Bob Grindstaff will head the new department, called Community Justice. He said the department will have a completely new philosophy based on restoring offenders to productive lives and restoring what was lost from their crimes. "This is very exciting for me," Grindstaff said. "It�s an opportunity to really make a difference and at this point in my career that�s what I really want to do." Josephine County is enacting a similar merger on July 1. Josephine County Commissioner Jim Brock said the merger allows one person more freedom to deal with the multitude of justice issues facing the county. But the move was opposed by a number of Josephine County law enforcement officials before a divided county commission approved it, said Josephine County juvenile director Terry Soeteber, who is retiring in a week. "Community corrections and juvenile justice have no relationship to each other," he said. "Juvenile justice system is an entirely different animal." He noted that the laws governing juveniles and adults are different, as are the philosophies. Soeteber says eventually mistakes will be made by someone trying to handle too many disparate issues. "It�s one of those things that eat into the fabric of the community and what its core values are," Soeteber said. "There�s only one advocate for juvenile offenders, and that�s the juvenile department and juvenile court." In Yamhill County, commissioners last fall created a separate juvenile department, said Tim Loewen, juvenile department director. When they penciled it out, they realized it would cost more � and there weren�t enough similarities to justify it. Medford philanthropist Jane Carpenter, who led a county effort to create a separate juvenile justice system in the 1940s, said officials must be cautious. "Over the whole country there�s been a tendency to treat youth as adults and especially in criminal situations. I think this is a huge mistake," she said. "They need someone who can really concentrate and think about them day in and day out." Community Works� Arnie Green said he would be concerned too, except that he respects Grindstaff. "If it wasn�t him I�d be a lot more concerned � my concern would be when these things happens kids can get the short shrift because adults are more of a safety concern," he said. "But Bob Grindstaff has a commitment to prevention that is pretty deep." Grindstaff has some experience in the juvenile side of justice. He began his career as a juvenile probation officer in Riverside County, Calif. When Multnomah County merged its community corrections and juvenile departments in 1997, he acted as a deputy director. He said he�s aware of the concerns, but believes the new department will allow for a better system for both kids and adults. "In Multnomah County ... there was a great deal of concern that juveniles would come second, but that didn�t happen," he said. "Juveniles tend to be out front." He said the merger creates a system based on turning lives around rather than punishment based on age. "You have the ability to design a program that isn�t designed on adult or juvenile system but what is best for the individual,�� he said. County Commissioner Jack Walker said he hasn�t heard one negative word about the plan. He credits Grindstaff�s reputation for the lack of controversy. "And if it doesn�t work, you can always go back," Walker said. "But just because we�ve always done it a certain way doesn�t mean it can�t be done better a different way. "Why not try it?" Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA