In the interest of accuracy and truth

I was encouraged by the action of the First Five Commission, sharing 2019 State of Our Children with the Lake County Supervisors and the Public.

I challenge the statistics presented by the Lake County Probation Department, “An average of 6 to 10 Lake County youth were in Juvenile Hall at any one time in 2019.”

There is no juvenile hall in Lake County. The Civil Grand Jury Report for 2017 on page 107, states that “When the youth were housed in Lake County the facility did not meet the Board of State and Community Corrections requirements.”

“Mandatory educational requirements were not consistently enforced.”

“Standards of conduct were not well established or maintained.”

The most recent Grand Jury Report includes a section entitled “The Wards of Lake County.”

In that report it is stated “The Lake County Chief of Probation made the decision to house Lake County Wards in the Juvenile Hall near Red Bluff Commencing on October 1, 2017.”

I remember when the children (Wards) were sent to Mendocino County. As a reporter I asked Rob Howe Chief Probation Officer if there was something wrong at the jail. He said things were fine.

The wards stayed in Mendocino Juvenile until they were moved to the juvenile hall near Red Bluff. Even in Red Bluff, the 2018-18 Grand Jury Report found that the children were not eating often enough to stay healthy, and the contract had not been fine-tuned for an educational curriculum to take place.

The next meeting of First Five will take place February 12 with an open agenda.

It is commendable that the First Five Commission is looking for and welcomes feedback. I hope others come to give feedback.

I think that Lake County can buy vehicles that work. I hope Lake County can also make sure the Wards of Lake County are able to be fed enough to maintain good health. We need to hear latest developments, including the Wrap Around Program, that serves the needs of juveniles for counseling and positive change within the family of origin.

In the interest of accuracy and truth — Joan Moss, Kelseyville