Commission backs study to extend Children's Ombudsman oversight to juvenile facilities
Staff proposed statutory amendments to give the Office of the Children's Ombudsman authority over juveniles in certified/operated DJJ and local detention facilities, plus access to records and notification of serious incidents; the commission will seek public comment and consider recommendations on Oct. 20.
The full story
Matthew Nuardi, commission staff, presented a study and draft recommendations to expand the Office of the Children's Ombudsman's (OCO) powers to include juveniles in secure confinement facilities certified or operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice and locally operated juvenile detention centers. Nuardi said the study included stakeholder interviews, reviews of other states' ombudsman models and site visits, and that the commission's advisory group favored expanding oversight while noting practical barriers to intake, data access and staffing.
Sign up to keep reading.
Your free newsletter brings you what your city council, county, and school board discussed and decided.