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Show Utah juveniles get help When it comes to providing support sup-port programs for Utah's delinquent delin-quent and troubled youth, Utah can find no equal. That according to Russell Van Vleet, director, juvenile court District Dis-trict II, who spoke at Benchmark Regional Hospital's Educator's Forum, Jan. 20. Van Vleet said that even though Utah ranks high in its treatment of juveniles, there is still only so much the state can do. He cited funding and a lack of understanding understand-ing and support from family members mem-bers as any negatives that could be found in Utah's current programs. "We have come a long way in the last ten years in our attitudes toward how we discipline our youth," said Van Vleet. "Gone are the days when we send the youth to ranches and dormitory style correctional cor-rectional facilities. We are seeing more and more private institutions and facilities get involved, and in the long run the youth and society will benefit the most." Van Vleet said today's society believes the involvement of youth in crime and other delinquent activities acti-vities is on the rise, when in actuality actual-ity there has been a nine percent drop in juvenile arrests and felony arrests. Van Vleet attributes this drop to the change in attitudes which has allowed the youth to enter en-ter more relaxed programs such as work study and foster homes. O According to Van Vleet, the amber one priority remains in get ting the chronic delinquent off the streets, but that priority is also the number one dilemma in identifying who the chronic delinquents are. "Once we identify who the chronic delinquents are," said Van Vleet, "there is still no way to guarantee the youth will go bad or turn around." Van Vleet said at the current time there are no federal funds being pumped into the states' juvenile juve-nile correctional programs. This leaves all support hanging in the balance of the state. "This remains a problem only as long as we can't provide the proper care and treatment treat-ment needed." Another problem facing the juvenile system, which is an ongoing one, is the support or lack of support, received from parents and family members. "There is a sad cycle of delinquency and abuse which seems to run through the same family," said Van Vleet. "A child who has been abused has a i tendency to grow up and be a child abuser. The same is true for the juvenile delinquent who has a parent pa-rent with a history of criminal activity." According to Van Vleet, there is a "Triangle of Support" which includes in-cludes the public school system, the family and home life, and the state supported programs. "When all three can work together," said Van Vleet, "the juvenile system is a smooth process. But if one parent doesn't encourage the youth to attend classes, for example, the whole system can be thrown into disarray." The Educator's Forum Seminars are held every other Wednesday at the Benchmark Regional Hospital in Woods Cross. Topics are designed de-signed specifically for educators, principals, counselors and seminary semi-nary teachers. For more information informa-tion about upcoming speakers, call Benchmark Regional Hospital at 298-2844. |