13th Judicial Circuit of MissouriJJC Programs & Services

Art Program

The Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center Art Program is designed for juveniles in placement on the program side at the Juvenile Justice Center. The Art Program is designed as an incentive to increase the self-esteem of the participants and to demonstrate to this population of juveniles, in a tangible way, the reward for making good choices and decisions, thereby increasing the likelihood that they become accountable, successful members of their communities.

The art program was implemented in January 2000. Juveniles have the chance to work in several different areas, including drawing, pen and ink, acrylic painting, and clay projects. There is a pottery wheel, and a kiln for the firing and glazing of the clay projects.

What are Programming Groups?

Groups are run by staff and include focusing on problem-solving skills, social skills interventions and cognitive restructuring (identifying and addressing your thinking, beleifs, attitudes and values). The groups will include role playing ,group discussion, and maybe homework assignments. Groups may be skills-based (anger management ,effective communication) or educationl in nature.

Community Service Work Program

The Community Service Work Program is one of the mechanisms the juvenile court employs to promote the philosophy of accountability. This program requires a juvenile offender to work a specified number of hours, with no compensation, as a way of repaying the community for his or her offenses.

Residents in placement at the Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center have the opportunity to complete previously ordered community service work hours, if they are in residence on the program wing of the Juvenile Justice Center. They must have the approval of supervisory staff and their participation is behavior-dependent. Under the supervision of assigned staff, they are involved in such tasks as cleaning, painting, and gardening.

Computer Lab

Juveniles in residence at the Center have the ability to use the computer lab to complete special school projects, homework, caseplan assignment work, and letters to parents and attorneys.

Drug Testing

Every juvenile admitted to the Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center is administered a urinalysis drug screening. The drug test that is used tests for a variety of illegal substances.

Educational Program: Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center School

Since the facility first opened in January 1975, juveniles in placement at the Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center have been provided quality educational services through the Juvenile Justice Center School Program, in conjunction with the Columbia Public School District. The residents receive educational services provided by a combination of a certified teacher, a Title I teacher a Special Education teacher, and an Instructional Aid. Educational staff were trained and experienced in teaching students with learning disabilities and behavior disorders.

Recreation

The Recreation Program consists of daily physical fitness exercises and recreational activities designed to meet the physical activity needs of youth in placement at the Center. To meet standards set out in Supreme Court Rule 129.04, juveniles must participate in at least one hour of physical activity daily.

Library

In 1990, a library was created at the Juvenile Justice Center. The creation of the library was primarily related to the increased emphasis on the use of risk and needs assessments and supervision contracts. The library contains resources for each of the needs areas identified in the needs assessments, plus educational information for staff development, activities for juveniles and their parents which are used in supervision contracts, and referral information regarding outside resources for juveniles, families, and staff. The Juvenile Justice Center has received donations of new books for the library from community organizations and reading programs on several occasions throughout the years. As part of the facility expansion that was completed in late 2004, the space for the library was enlarged.

Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument (MAYSI)

The MAYSI is a brief screening tool that is designed to identify potential mental health needs. It is administered to most juveniles admitted to the Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center, within 48 hours of admission. Juveniles must be at least 12 years of age, in order to obtain valid results. The MAYSI-2 is a self-report inventory of 52 questions. Youths circle "Yes" or "No," concerning whether each item has been true for them within the past few months, in the areas of Alcohol/Drug Use, Angry/Irritable, Depressed/Anxious, Somatic Complaints, Suicide Ideation, and Thought Disturbance. In the area of Traumatic Experiences, they circle "Yes" or "No" concerning whether they have ever experienced a serious trauma in their lifetime and, if so, how many traumas. Residents who score in the Cautionary and/or Warning Areas are referred, as needed, for further assessment and services.

Medical Services

Medical services are provided on a regular basis at the Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center, and medical personnel are available on an on-call basis for urgent medical concerns.

In 1974, when the Juvenile Justice Center opened, James L. Chapel, M.D., head of the University of Missouri Department of Psychiatry, began providing medical services to residents in placement at the Center. After Dr. Chapel retired in the late 1980s, residents who had medical concerns were taken to the City Health Department. In 1992, the Boone County and City of Columbia Health Departments, together with local hospitals, the MU School of Medicine and Missouri Department of Social Services established the Boone County Family Health Center. Beginning that same year, Medical personnel from the Family Health Center came to the Juvenile Justice Center once a week to provide physical examinations and treatment for acute health concerns, and they were available for emergency situations on an on-call basis. Since 1995, when the Juvenile Justice Center moved into a new, larger facility, visits by medical personnel to the Center have been on a twice-weekly basis, to accommodate the increased juvenile population.

Health care services provided to juveniles within the first five days of admission include a physical examination, a general dental screening, and an assessment of the need for eyeglasses. Screening and treatment services to juveniles suffering from acute health concerns are available during regularly scheduled visits to the Center on Tuesdays and Fridays. Juveniles who have been in residence at the Center for seven or more days are given a tuberculin skin test. Pre-natal or postpartum care is available to female residents in need of such services.

"Our Family Garden"

The name for the garden came from a contest in which the residents on the program wing participated. They submitted names for the garden which where then voted on by residents and staff. "Our Family Garden" was the winner.

The design for a ceramic plaque to place in the garden also came from a contest in which the residents on the program wing submitted drawings which were then voted on by residents and staff. Emily Nickel, the art instructor, worked with residents and staff to perfect the design and create the plaque. The plaque was mounted on a frame and post, and was placed in the garden during the growing season, as it will be each year. Below is the winning design:

Psychiatric Services

Through funding provided by the Mental Health tax, fellows in child and adolescent psychiatry are assigned to provide bi-monthly psychiatric services at the Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center. These fellows are physicians completing their residencies. A resident is a person who has received a medical degree and who practices medicine under the supervision of a fully licensed physician.

The psychiatric fellows are also responsible for interventions including prescribing and monitoring medications. Psychiatrists often request teaching staff to evaluate residents through the use of Vanderbilt Scales, to assist in ruling in or ruling out Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Other interventions by the psychiatric fellow include ordering lab work, making dietary changes, referring for substance abuse assessments, making recommendations for outpatient care/counseling after release, and obtaining collateral information.

Regional Detention and Evaluation Services

When plans for the present Juvenile Justice Center facility were still in the preliminary stages, a primary consideration in deciding what the size of the new building would be was out-of-circuit placements and placements by the Division of Youth Services. By 2000, the need for male detention rooms had increased to the point that it was necessary to decline most requests for services from other circuits and the Division of Youth Services. Planning began on expansion of the facility. On October 4, 2004, the facility expansion was completed and ready for occupancy. The expanded facility included twelve additional male detention rooms, an enlarged admissions area, extra storage on the detention wing, an enlarged school classroom/dayroom in the detention area, an enlarged school classroom area on the program wing, an enlarged library and an enlarged kitchen with a walk-in freezer and refrigerator. The facility expansion has allowed for increased bed availability for contracting circuits and the Division of Youth Services.

Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI)

The Adolescent SASSI-A2 is designed for juveniles 12 years old or older, to identify those who have a high probability of having a substance abuse issue, including both substance abuse disorder and substance abuse dependence. It also identifies juveniles who have a low likelihood for substance abuse. This test is administered within 24 to 48 hours after admission to the Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center. The test is not administered to juveniles who have taken the SASSI-A2 within the previous 12 months, unless there has been an identified change in substance use.

Since the testing instrument takes into account family history of substance abuse, and would also include juveniles who have already received intensive substance abuse treatment services (perhaps multiple times), referrals for substance abuse assessments are not based solely on the SASSI score. Some of the other referral criteria include detaining offense, drug test results at the time of admission, self-report, information obtained by parent, and substance abuse treatment history. When it is determined that a juvenile should be referred for a substance abuse assessment, Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center staff contact a local treatment provider. The provider sends one of their staff to conduct the substance abuse assessment at the Juvenile Justice Center, complete a written report, and make a recommendation based on the determination of need for treatment. A juvenile's parent or custodian is present at the time of the assessment, if at all possible, in order to provide information about the youth and to discuss any questions or concerns. If it is recommended that a juvenile participate in substance abuse treatment, Robert L. Perry Juvenile Justice Center staff ensures that arrangements are made for treatment.