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Resident urges Montgomery County to prioritize education and reentry support over incarceration in public comment
Summary
Monica Meeks told commissioners the county should invest in prevention, early childhood education and reentry positions rather than expanding incarceration; she cited literacy statistics and asked whether the juvenile resource center and reentry positions would serve all teens or only those already in trouble.
Monica Meeks of Adams, Tennessee, used her allotted three minutes at the Jan. 13 Montgomery County commission meeting to urge officials to prioritize education, prevention and reentry support over incarceration.
"We need education, not incarceration," Meeks told the commission, saying some juvenile detention centers are operated by private companies such as CoreCivic and noting the U.S. Department of Justice has investigated CoreCivic. She asked whether reentry coordinator positions would be filled and whether the planned juvenile resource center would be available to all teens or only those already involved in the justice system.
Meeks criticized what she characterized as a pattern of investing in incarceration while underfunding prevention programs. She also raised questions about fiscal oversight and possible conflicts of interest: "What measures ensure the responsible use of taxpayer funds? Who stands to gain financially? Any conflicts of interest should be mentioned now and as they arise, not hidden from taxpayers," she said.
She gave several statistics during her remarks, attributing them as part of her appeal: "3 out of 4 people on welfare cannot read. 3 out of 5 people in America's prisons cannot read. 85% of juvenile offenders have a reading problem." The commission did not discuss or verify those figures during the meeting; they were presented by Meeks as part of her public comment.
Meeks also referenced Legislative Item 5 (a pre-kindergarten proposal) and named Commissioner Autumn Simmons and the county chief of staff as sponsors. She closed by urging the commission to consider preventive measures and community-based supports for at-risk children.
Meeks was the lone registered public commenter for the meeting; her comments were recorded in the public-comment portion of the agenda.
