By AP
Oklahoma City, OK – Lawyer says Okla. juvenile justice woes mounting
(Information in the following story is from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A lawyer who pursued a lawsuit decades ago to reform the Oklahoma juvenile justice system says the state is letting old problems develop again.
Steven Novick told the Tulsa World on Friday that enhanced security measures adopted after an outbreak of inmate violence at Tecumseh lockup indicates the problems are starting to reemerge.
Novick was behind a 1978 lawsuit that led to a 1984 consent decree. The pact banned abusive practices and closed a number of facilities. Juveniles were placed in more community settings.
But Novick says violence and escapes at the Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center and the state's response shows that juvenile reforms are losing ground. The new policy allows guards to use Tasers, which Novick says is unfair to the youths.