In the world of Arkansas’s juvenile court system, if a child as young as 10 years old commits a crime, he or she could conceivably be sent to one of the state’s seven lockup facilities.
Federal indictments against former officers at the White River Juvenile Detention Center at Batesville have placed that lockup facility in the media spotlight twice this spring. The Batesville center is one of four locations used to house youthful offenders from Baxter County.
While the law permits an offender as young as 10 to be sent to a lockup facility like the one in Batesville, at least in North Central Arkansas that is not the direction taken, according to Baxter County Juvenile Services Director Cheryl Green.
In part two of our series examining the relationship between local juvenile services and the lockup facilities, Green says in Arkansas, those ages 10-17 can be charged as a juvenile offender.
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While 10 may be considered young to be an offender, Green says a few years back juvenile services had a case involving a 9-year-old. In that case, the computer savvy youngster cleaned out the cash register drawer at a local convenience store when the clerk was distracted. She says any misdemeanor committed by those 10-17 makes the offender a delinquent.
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On the high end of the age spectrum, there are other possible charges.
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While charging an offender under 18 as an adult is rare, Green says it has been done here when habitual offenders were involved.
Once in the juvenile detention system, Green says federal guidelines are very clear the youthful offenders not be housed with adult offenders.
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Once the offender is processed, Green says there are options available.
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Green says other treatment programs are also available based on the need of the child, such as emotional or psychological modification. In these cases, these juveniles are not placed in detention but in other structured facilities.
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