Juvenile court judges brief committee on caseloads, family treatment courts and staffing needs

Judges who preside over juvenile courts across several Georgia circuits told the Judicial Juvenile Committee that rising caseloads, substance-use trends and limited staffing shape how their courts handle dependency and delinquency cases.

The judges — including Judge Tom Parmer of the West Georgia Circuit, Judge Monica Wilburn of Houston County, Judge Shay Young of the Macon Judicial Circuit and Judge Jeremy Clow of the Enodo Judicial Circuit — described programs such as family treatment courts, juvenile mental health courts and county-funded staff that they said support reunification and case management. The judges also described variation across counties in staffing, funding sources and local practices.

The presentation mattered because committee members are considering legislation and oversight affecting juvenile court operations and child-welfare practice. Judges said local funding and county-level decisions determine whether courts can add associate judges, bailiffs and clerical staff, and they gave examples of how those resources affect the speed and scope of case processing.

Judges described a mix of…