Boone County picked for national juvenile justice initiative
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Boone County was one of five counties around the country picked to participate in a juvenile justice initiative, according to a Wednesday press release from the Boone County Commission.
The National Association of Counties Juvenile Justice Innovation Network “aims to increase the practical understanding and capacity of counties to address the needs of youth involved in their local juvenile justice systems by leveraging the unique position of counties, which operate at the intersection of youth-serving systems such as juvenile justice, education, child welfare, and other human service systems,” the release states.
According to the release, four people representing Boone County over the next nine months will – virtually and in person – learn from national and local experts and exchange ideas for program and policy changes. The four people include Boone County are Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center Superintendent Tara Eppy, YouthBuild Director of Job Point Jerrell Morton, Boone County Community Services Department Director Joanne Nelson and Northern District Commissioner Janet Thompson, according to the release.
The release states the county is aiming to reduce the Relative Rate Index, which measures racial and ethnic disparities across different decision points within the juvenile justice system, specifically focusing on the rate at which youth enter the juvenile justice system and remain involved with it.
