No, the kids in this state's lock-ups for juveniles are not all right. And neither are those legislators, regardless of their party, arguing about how best to handle them. To quote Jay Barth, who teaches politics at Hendrix College, there are "dramatically different perspectives on how to do juvenile justice." Whether those perspectives are shared by legislators, judges, assorted kibitzers or concerned citizens, only this much is clear: All have much to be concerned about.
So does the state's governor and referee-in-chief. The Hon. Asa Hutchinson, Esq., who's raised some pertinent legal questions about the Legislature's duty and power to review legislation before it becomes part of the official record. But when does review become revise? To quote Governor Hutchinson: "There's some confusion on what 'review' means. There's an appropriate legislative role to play. Most of that is in the advance side of the budgeting process, and after the contracts are awarded, there's really a limited role that can and should be played if we're going to keep it a technical- and merit-based contract award system. I think we'll have some ongoing discussion with the Legislature on that, and hopefully we can smooth out that process."
If the Guv ever tires of his day job, he can always take up diplomacy. After handling the Ledge, dealing with the Russians and Arabs and assorted other international characters should be a snap. But competence, like charity, begins at home. So let's discuss dealing with all those outfits right here in Arkansas that are competing for a chance to run the state's lock-ups.
Take the familiar Consolidated Youth Services and consider the job it's done running the state's lock-ups for juveniles over the past decades. It's not an easy job, working in a state facility for troubled youngsters who are headed for still more trouble unless those who care about them can somehow intervene effectively. These are kids who may not have violated any major laws--not yet--but who make a practice of playing hooky, ignoring their parents, running away from home, and generally acting like juvenile delinquents on their way to becoming adult offenders.
At last count, as many as 249 children were inmates of these lockups. And the race to be awarded this $160-million contract to treat or maybe just detain these kids has been understandably fierce. Hence all the lawsuits, claims and counter-claims and general jockeying for position that has occupied the competitors for this contract for futile months.
Don't like the way this latest round of negotiations between those who hold the contract and those who would like to take it away from them has turned out? Tell it to the professionals whose job it is to evaluate the work that all these rivals for that contract are doing. The state's Department of Human Services chose to award this contract to a respected commercial company precisely because it ran up such high scores in objective evaluations by outside judges. Even some of the legislators who didn't like the governor's decision to go with the best candidate understood he was acting in the public interest and the kids'.
Just because a company or a physician or any other professional makes money at his art, science or service doesn't mean he is acting ignobly. On the contrary, he may be serving all to the best of his ability. Who could ask for anything more or accept anything less? Only those who make it a habit to ascribe bad motives to their competitors.
Wondering what the new year holds can't compete with working to make it the best ever for all of us. At this dawn of a new year, could we set aside old grudges and begin anew with a clean slate and hopes for the best in ourselves, in these troubled kids, and in old, ever new Arkansas?
Editorial on 12/29/2016