by Allen Cardoza
What factors contribute to juvenile delinquency trends and what can be done about it? This was the topic Richard Louis III and Tommie Baines discussed with Allen Cardoza and Dr. Melody Fox discussed on L.A. Talk Radio
Due to state and county budget deficits, there is a national movement away from detention and residential treatment programs. This is actually a good thing because a recent national research conducted by OPEN MINDS showed that a shift from county juvenile justice systems to community-based treatments showed a marked behavioral improvement. Punishing youth is often not effective because troubled adolescents may be suffering from mental health or substance abuse issues.
The discussion focused on how best to help youth at risk. Social studies demonstrated that the best solution to juvenile delinquency was re-educating youth on how to behave in society. Rather than focusing on punishing youth through incarceration, counseling and re-education worked better.
A Senior Associate with OPEN MINDS, Richard Louis III explained that this is a a national market research and management consulting firm. The organization specializes in the mental health, addictions, social services, disability support, and related public health sectors of the health and human service field.
He is also a former Assistant Director of the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health. With over 20 years as an administrator in private sector behavioral healthcare, Mr. Louis currently volunteers as a police officer with the City of Monterey Park Police Department, East Los Angeles. He holds the rank of captain and is assigned to the Department’s Gang Enforcement.
A Deputy Probation Officer from Los Angeles County, Tommie Baines has worked for over 25 years with youth and families . Besides his field work with juveniles, he has also served the Department as a therapist. Later on, he became an analyst responsibile for program development, grant writing, and strategic planning.
Baines is a member of the Youth Resource Team in the City of Santa Monica. He consults regularly with administrators from a variety of agencies on numerous issues. Discussions focus on youth and the justice system, planning and grant writing assistance.
Learn more about Youth probation and the justice system. Stop by Allen Cardoza’s site where you can listen to the interview with Richard Louis III and Tommy Baines.
