Mississippi lawmakers approve changes to youth court system
Mississippi lawmakers have approved sweeping changes to the state’s youth court system after a lapse in state law threatened access to confidential court records.
The new law restores that access while making broader changes supporters say will improve consistency across the state’s youth courts.
Gaven Wallace with the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center explains.
Foster parent Kim Jordan has cared for 39 Mississippi children. She says one thing she’s learned is that every youth court operates differently. “Jackson County has an incredible guardian ad litem. She works there full-time. She is the best, but then you can go to some other counties where you don’t know who you’re going to get. They have three or four (judges), and they’re hard to reach, and you don’t know which one you have because every youth court’s different.”
Jordan says strict confidentiality laws also prevent foster parents from publicly discussing cases, even when speaking out could help protect a child. “It’ll get me in trouble as a foster parent for talking about specific cases that come up because they’re identifiable and there’s secrecy there. If I can’t even talk about something terrible that happened to a child under my care… there’s nobody to stand up for them.”
Those concerns intensified after a law allowing confidential youth court records to be shared with attorneys, families and child welfare agencies expired July 1.
A lawsuit and temporary Mississippi Supreme Court order kept access in place until lawmakers approved a permanent fix.
State Public Defender André de Gruy says the legislation also addresses broader issues, including delays caused by part-time youth court judges. “We have youth courts that meet once a month, and so that delays being able to get matters before them.”
Gov. Tate Reeves says the new law is designed to make youth courts more consistent statewide. “This legislation will give Mississippi a stronger foundation. It provides full-time judges. It moves us toward consistency statewide. It strengthens due process and transparency.”
