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Show Task Forces At Work i: t t.'i ri l I IJM Nv t h"?'?1 f ip' .4 "j V AiK.A ..t BSCr lAo",: 4 fli i wmWf$ , I - ?v i - y i&56: Jti ?! iiilLllI: A by Kirk Terry residents, said Martha Turpin, The community at large generally holds the police department and overall criminal justice system in an air of cynicism, mistrust and defiance. Whether its from a speeding ticket issued by a peace officer hired to protect us, the police not being at a house when the burgler is rifling it, or the judge who decides in the other man's favor, this feeling in the community still prevails. The system and its officers are commonly blamed and held responsible because they enforce the laws the community has chosen and devised to protect itself. Therefore, the police and courts are caught up in the old and unfair observation "damned if they do and damned if they don't." Sometimes all an officer has to do is raise his hand to protect himself and the reaction is "police brutality" and the community wants the policeman to justify his actions. Certain inadequacies do exist in the system of our courts. THe Model Cities task force assistant, have responded quickly in matters like representing juveniles that have been brought into court and in working with the youth in educating them about how the system works. She said that the help the task force receives from the police department and their knowledge in criminal matters also makes the task force a viable coalition within the community helping to combate crime and delinquency. The following is democratic right of judgement by our peers but the cost of counsel is expensive. The Crime and Delinquency Task Force has developed several programs to insure that when a person accused of a crime with the possibility of that personlosinghis freedom and liberty, that the defendant will be represented by counsel. The cost will be withstood by the people if the accused can't afford a lawyer. In the past, the poor that had been brought before the courts didn't always have the needed counsel and a situation of discrimination against the poor ccould be observed. The same condition of discrimination against a juvenile accused of a crime with the possible loss of liberty, also without a fair and adequate counsel, has existed. The task force has programs to insure that this unwanted situation is also eliminated. The Crime and Delinquency Task Force is made up of administered by the Salt Lake County Bar Legal Services, Inc., VnmraziTmysr. Beth James, Chairman projects: Pre-Tri- Project for Juvenile Court Legal Services The general purpose of this program is to provide legal juvenile court for (1.) children charged as juvenile delinquents, (2.) children having an interest which is in representation in conflict with that of their parents, and (3.) children or parents involved in child neglect proceedings in cases where the parties involved are unable to pay for such representation in Salt Lake County and the model neighborhood. The program will seek to promote reform of the legal system in these matters by means of litigation, legislation, research, social action, instigation of governmental action and any other action necessary to insure a coordinated attack; not only on the obvious problems which require legal action, but also on the underlying issues that have caused these problems to appear in the juvenile court system. The program would establish educational activities in the representation Several This program will be neighborhood. including the police and members who react at short notice in force's programs. representation for parents whose children are being charged with being neglected. Delinquency Task Force community residents and organization representatives, expertise in developing the task program would provide the legal services program currently serving the model model neighborhood to educate the community in regard to the operations of the program, to contributing their experience and force on Crime and Delinquency has identified. The program would first and foremost, provide representation in juvenile court for youth charged with acts that would, if the court finds them guilty, convict them of being "delinquent." In addition, the breakdown of the Crime and a Constitution protects the of the representation rime To Reduc m- initiate community and systematic reform. The program will seek to fulfill the needs which the task expanded to develop al rehabilitative supervision and employment assistance for persons accused but not Release Project This project is an innovative organized through the College of Law, University of Utah. The program would be conducted by law students under the general supervision of the faculty in conjunction with the College of Law's present clinical program. Law students serving as project investigators will make a careful investigation of a defendant's background, employment, family situation, and other ties and roots in the community. Investigations conducted by interviewing the defendant using a detailed questionaire with a follow-u- p will be to verify the information so obtained. Investigative routines and investigation procedures will be developed with the approval of the judges. Investigators will in appropriate cases recommend release on the defendant's personal undertaking to appear in court in lieu of posting bail. The decision to accept such recommendations will, of course, be made by the judge. The recommendations will be made at the defendant's first appearance in court, or as soon thereafter as verification of the information obtained from the defendant and his family can be established. In addition, the proposed project contemplates that the initial "release on recognizance program" will ultimately be (4.) Making full use of diagnostic testing and evaluation. (5.) Promoting effective differential treatment methods, i.e., group therapy, activity groups, remedial education and tutoring, vocational counseling, individual convicted of crimes. program sponsored by and Employing the fullest effective use of community resources. (3.) Neighborhood Probation counseling, "Big Brother program and other methods developed. as Units The proposed program provides for the establishing of probation teams in units located in residential neighborhoods. Teams will consist of probation officers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, probation aides, education counselors and mental health services. A well organized and extensive use of volunteers will also be an integral part of the program. The primary purpose of establishing probation units in neighborhood centers is to make meaningful services available to the client. The setting itself is a contributing factor to the success of the approach. Achievement of this goal is proposed through: (1.) Using a team approach. A team established in each of the units would consist of a probation officer, mental health officer, vocational rehabilitation counselor, educational counselor, probation aides, volunteers and secretarial help. (2.) Decentralizing of probation services and establishing them in strategically located residential areas. In Take Services for Children This project provides an intake case worker who is on duty at the detention center and is available 24 hours a day. The case worker provides any child that is received in detention an interview and then contacts his parents to set up a preli minary inquiry to be held as soon as possible. The intake caseworker conducts a preliminary inquiry that is required by law: Rule 9 of the Juvenile Court Rules and Procedures. In the process of conducting the inquiry, the caseworker determines the necessity of detaining the child. The intake officer has the following alternatives available to |