- The funds being directed to youth courts in Bolivar, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, and Marion counties come from New Allies.
Five counties will receive grants upwards of $65,000 each to provide a range of innovative and evidence-based services and support to families in Mississippi Youth Court system.
The funds being directed to youth courts in Bolivar, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, and Marion counties come from New Allies, a consulting and technical assistance initiative of Youth Villages.
Additionally, the non-profit is creating the Mississippi Youth Court Institute, a partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). The aim is to support the implementation of best practice standards in child welfare through grant funding and ongoing educational and training opportunities for judges.
The state’s Youth Court is struggling financially, Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Kenny Griffis recently told attendees at the Neshoba County Fair. The youth court system handles cases involving juveniles who have been abused or neglected and/or who have committed delinquent or criminal acts.
During his recent speech, Griffis said challenges to Mississippi’s Youth Court and its staff range from neglect to locating a safe space for adults to care for and nurture the young offenders. In the last two years, he said more than 64,000 young Mississippians have been referred to the state’s youth courts, creating a financial strain on the system.
Youth who have yet to turn 18 may be eligible for the Youth Court system, although there are exceptions. Some offenses, which would be treated as crimes if committed by adults, are known as delinquent acts when they involve juveniles, according to the State Supreme Court.
“Today’s delinquent youth are often tomorrow’s prison inmates. Yes, we have 12-year-olds carrying automatic weapons. And they know how to use them. Youth Court Judges and Referees must figure out what to do with them and how to rehabilitate them,” said Justice Griffis.
The New Allies grants are geared towards improving outcomes for children and families related to safety, permanency, and family engagement in Mississippi’s child welfare judicial proceedings.
Lee County Court Judge Staci Bevill headed the 2024 Mississippi Commission on a Uniform Youth Court System and Procedures, which found the Youth Court system chronically underfunded and understaffed.
“The Mississippi Youth Court Institute will help recipient courts bridge some of these funding gaps with targeted resources to improve outcomes for children and families, and in addition provide ongoing educational opportunities for all youth court judges,” Bevill said. “Our judges strive every day for our courts to be better than the day before. Having [New Allies] come alongside us to offer these financial resources and educational opportunities will bring new innovation, and we look forward to a long and productive relationship.”
Britany Binkowski, director of New Allies, said the organization is pleased to offer help to the overburdened system.
“We recognize that judges, as leaders in our child welfare system, play an integral role in supporting system-level changes that will benefit Mississippi’s children and families,” she said.
For the last couple of years, the organization has joined with the state’s Department of Child Protective Services to improve outcomes for those who receive the department’s services.
“Working with the Mississippi courts became an extension of the effort, as they play a major role in decision-making within the child welfare system,” said Binkowski. “We know bringing effective changes in child welfare means engaging courts in this work. Judicial leadership plays a powerful role in moving our system forward.”
The grants will support a series of family initiatives based on evidence and research-based models. Awards will fund the following:
- Bolivar County Youth Court’s family reunification and stability initiative, focusing on high-quality visitation and care coordination to decrease a child’s time in foster care and expedite reunification.
- Marion County Youth Court, hiring a staff member to strengthen home safety plans, increase access and utilization of services, and integrate family feedback into court decision-making.
- A tri-county collaborative project with Harrison, Hancock, and Jackson Counties’ youth courts to increase support to moms and expecting moms who are experiencing substance use.
Outcomes for the initiatives will be evaluated by the Youth Villages data science department and the NCJFCJ.
Daniel Tyson
