MEMPHIS, Tenn. — ABC24 is committed to solutions on how to make our community safer and improve juvenile justice. That's what brought Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon together Thursday.
A daylong collaboration with leading criminal justice minds from across the country outlined bold new reforms that worked elsewhere and could also be effective in the Mid-South.
The event also comes in the first weeks of new eight-year terms for both men, who must find the right balance of punishment and rehabilitation for young people convicted.
The daylong discussion at Crosstown Concourse touched on many topics. Experts concluded the vast majority of children convicted of lesser offenses are better off out of detention, since contact with more violent offenders can hurt more than help.
Other speakers supported the idea of 'blended sentencing' and a proposed pilot program in Shelby County. If approved, it would keep some juveniles in custody beyond the age of 19 but also keep them out of the adult system.
The DA and Juvenile Court judge are also open to better counseling partnerships in schools and more job training skills offered in detention centers.
"Judge Sugarmon and I both understand the seriousness of the youth crime problem but also the need to look at fresh approaches because what we have been doing over the last decade hasn't been working," Mulroy said.
"It is going to take some resources but we have to make sure that not only do we ask for the dollars we need but we use them effectively," Judge Sugarmon added.
Judge Sugarmon said once some of the new programs are staffed and in place, he's open to bringing in the Department of Justice to evaluate and keep tabs on the progress.