Gov. Tate Reeves said Wednesday that a special session of the Mississippi Legislature will consider an overhaul of the state’s youth court system that includes more full-time judges, the creation of two state-run juvenile detention facilities and fixes to expired statutes that have prompted litigation.
Reeves told reporters the package of bills would move the state toward a uniform youth court system instead of the current, “fragmented” approach. The proposals call for $29.5 million in new spending, three of the four bills are appropriations measures, and include expanding detention capacity at the Oakley Youth Development Center in Raymond and developing secure detention options in northern and southern Mississippi, Reeves said.
Under the plan, full-time judges would preside over youth court matters statewide; currently 24 of the state’s 82 counties have a full-time youth court judge, Reeves said. The legislation would create additional chancellor positions beginning in 2027 for counties without full-time judges, allow a transition for counties with existing youth courts to adopt a chancery court model, require judges to put oral orders in writing promptly and create a statewide evidence-based diversion program, Reeves said. The measures would also cap the cost to counties of housing juveniles in state facilities at $100 per day, give youth courts exclusive jurisdiction over truancy and boost funding for a statewide intervention system run by the Department of Human Services.
Reeves said the session was summoned after youth court statutes expired on June 30, creating uncertainty and sparking state and federal litigation. The Office of the State Public Defender filed a federal lawsuit in June saying public defenders could not access court records needed to represent clients. Child Protection Services filed an emergency request with the Mississippi Supreme Court for interim rules on sharing confidential youth court records; the court unanimously granted that request, which is set to expire July 24 unless extended, Reeves said.
“Changing a system that has developed over decades will take time,” Reeves said. “But that is not a reason to delay. We should be honest with the people of Mississippi that no single bill will eliminate juvenile crime, no single bill will fix every child welfare case, and no single bill will immediately produce uniform outcomes in all 82 counties. But we should also be clear that maintaining the status quo is unacceptable.”
Democratic leaders in both chambers said Democratic members have “neither seen nor been meaningfully engaged in negotiating,” and some rank-and-file Republican lawmakers said they knew little about the agreement, the governor acknowledged. Reeves said he hopes lawmakers from both parties will support the reforms, but he declined to set a deadline for concluding the session and said lawmakers might not finish Wednesday. He also said there were no plans to add other topics “at this time.”
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
