Problems at DYS

I attended an Aging, Children and Youth committee meeting on Tuesday for discussion regarding the Division of Youth Services at Alexander. For those who don't know; DYS is, for lack of a better term, our juvenile prison system. At issue was the Divisions' non compliance of special education standards. The general feel of the committee seemed to be that everyone is tired of the talking and ready for some results. There are a number of problems at DYS, and I feel that anything done at this point will only apply a band-aid to a gaping wound. We can continue to grill the director of DHS, DYS and everyone involved, but I believe we will need to retool and rethink this entire agency before significant progress can be made. The first step should be regionalizing these facilities and equipping them with teachers and educational facilities suited for success. I believe our juvenile system, if done right, holds the key to success for thousands of young Arkansans who will only end up in the adult system if we don't get it turned around. I will say this for sure--the way we do it now doesn't work. Having said all that, I do have a positive feeling that the new director, Ron Angel, is going to give it his best shot, and we as legislators need to give him the opportunity to bring this monster under control.