成人X站

Thousands of kids in King County get arrested every year for everything from shoplifting, to crimes as extreme as murder.

Law enforcement, prosecutors key to juvenile justice reform

They all get for minor crimes. Others end up doing serious time.

Before it gets to that extreme, most have had multiple chances to turn things around. That often involves working with a probation counselor like Michelle Mihail, who works out of the Renton juvenile probation office.

鈥淢ost of the young people I work with now have convictions for robbery, gun convictions and then some drug possession and some assaults,鈥� said Mihail.

She has up to 20 kids assigned to her at a time. A good chunk are in gangs, or are at risk of becoming involved with gangs. Many have been sent to probation from the court rather than being sentenced, have served as many as 30 days in county detention, or are offered a suspended sentence.

鈥淭he goal really now is how to we help create a place for behavior change and service provision,鈥� Mihail explained.

鈥淚 really see the court and those conditions as the container to operate in, but my goal really is 鈥榟ow do I help them learn better skills so they鈥檙e not repeatedly coming back into the system,鈥欌�� she added.

How it’s done

Mihail does the assessment, determines what type of services a kid needs, and assigns a plan. That includes working with a variety of programs, like drug and alcohol or mental counseling, in-home family therapy, anger management classes, education and employment services, assigning a mentor, and more.

鈥淧retty much I鈥檓 willing to work with anyone who my kid鈥檚 willing to work with, even if that takes some coaching or some guidance to get them there. But really we 鈥� work collaboratively in the best interest if this child and this family,鈥� Mihail said.

It鈥檚 all about teaching the kids how to change behavior and giving them the tools to do that.

Restorative Justice offers different path for young offenders

Even so, not every kid gets it right away. Some fall out of compliance, and others finish probation but are repeat offenders who end up back on her caseload.

鈥淚 really see that as 鈥榯here鈥檚 maybe still some skills lacking, and what do we need to help build up?鈥� Maybe what do we have to help them practice more? Maybe they have it in certain environments, but when it comes to more of their friends around or other high risk environments, it鈥檚 harder to say no, or harder to come up with alternative answers to some of those situations,鈥� Mihail said.

It’s a tough job that can come with hard outcomes.

鈥淭here [was] a young man on my caseload who had been in the juvenile justice system for some time and really received a lot of intervention,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淯nfortunately, his substance abuse was such that he died from a drug overdose on Memorial Day. He was very funny and charismatic, had a contagious laugh and smile, and we collectively who knew him and loved him thought that he had really started to turn a corner. Unfortunately, it can be just that quick.鈥�

She鈥檚 also lost kids to gun violence, while others who鈥檝e been on her caseload have not been able to change direction, and are now doing hard time for taking a life.

Those are the extremes, and it can be frustrating, but Mihail always remains invested in the kids.

鈥淭he kids are why I show up. You know, they鈥檙e 鈥� generally very talented, smart young kids who just have kind of lost their way,鈥� she explained.

A day on the job

I spent an entire day with Mihail out on the job, which was packed with a lengthy to-do list.

One of our first stops was a weekly check-in with one of the kids on her caseload, who we are not naming for his protection.

The 17-year-old is at an alternative school where he’s trying to get caught up on school, which had not been a priority over the past couple of years.

At the meeting, Mihail said she was excited to hear him say he’s changed his mind — rather than take the GED later this year, he wants to stick it out and get his diploma.

The kid also shared his excitement about the summer gardening job he had just been connected with, and loves the welding program he’s working in and getting paid for. All that is part of his long term plan.

His path in the wrong direction started when he started hanging out with the wrong crowd and quickly got sucked in.

鈥淚t was cool, you feel me? So I started liking it. I鈥檇 rather go sell some drugs than go to school,鈥� the teen explained, pointing to the money he would make.

Feeling a sense of belonging to something was also part of the attraction.

鈥淛ust hanging out with the homies, you don鈥檛 got no one to hang out with and there鈥檚 a whole group of people over there 鈥� smoking weed, drinking, got money, got girls, you know what I鈥檓 saying?鈥� he described. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e lonely, you鈥檇 rather go hang out with them and have some friends, so that鈥檚 what I did. I felt like I didn鈥檛 have no one and then I started hanging out with them and I felt like I belonged, felt like it was my family.鈥�

By that time, he had stopped showing up to school and home for weeks at a time. That had him at odds with his single-mom who was worried about getting a call that he was in jail or the morgue, a legitimate concern, according to the teen.

King County juvenile diversion program expands to immigrant communities

He’s since been working hard to better himself using the tools Mihail has put in front of him, along with many others. That includes a mentor, and education and employment coordinator. He knows it’s up to him to stay on track, and says he has the common sense to do what needs to be done and stay away from his old crowd.

鈥淚f I was to go to the hood today and go hang out, not even do no dumb stuff just hang out, the next day I鈥檇 probably go back to the hood also, and the next day after that,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hen soon thereafter it鈥檚 going to be no going to school, go right to the hood, [and] start doing bad things I used to do. It would be dumb to go back to that when I worked so hard, get myself locked up. It鈥檚 not worth it.鈥�

That鈥檚 not his only concern.

鈥淚t ain鈥檛 worth it just to go to the hood to hang out 鈥� and if something happens you get killed. All you was doing is hanging out, you ain鈥檛 even been in the hood for days, for months you just hanging out with your friends, so that means you ain鈥檛 got nothing to do with what been going on, whoever been shooting and anything 鈥� you ain鈥檛 been doing it. Why should you have to take the bullet for what he did? So I鈥檓 glad I鈥檓 not hanging out in the hood because that鈥檚 usually how it goes,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 scary鈥� it鈥檚 scary,鈥� he added.