New bills overhauling Michigan's juvenile system provides mental health, risk screenings

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Michigan’s juvenile justice system is getting an overhaul after the signing of new bills Tuesday.

Lieutenant Gov. Garlin Gilchrist brought into law adjustments including mandatory mental health and risk assessment screenings. It also reduces fees — and limits the time a child has to complete a diversion program down to only three months.

"Every system that does something other than prepare a young person to be successful, is a system that desperately needs to be reformed and that is what this whole effort represents," Gilchrist said.

"A lot of people look at this and say, how can we treat these these youth in three months, but it can be done," said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. "This is something that we do on a regular basis."

"This stands in a stark contrast to the approach of confining our youth to residential facilities, an approach that data has shown does not better our youth’s outcomes," said State Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Dearborn).

Gilchrist says that this reform has been a long time coming.

"We have underfunded those for decades here in the state of Michigan," he said. "With this significant change and how these financial resources will flow through the system, there will be better supported service providers, there will be better-supported families."

These reform ideas came from recommendations by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Juvenile Justice Task Force.

The goal is to help kids and families caught in the system - and give them the opportunity — and a brighter future.

Gilchrist says there is still work that needs to be done.

"We certainly need to make sure we can continue to raise the floor for diversion services," he said.