MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1998 Regular Session

To: Juvenile Justice

By: Senator(s) Farris, Gollott, Furniss, Smith, Carlton, Burton, Browning, Mettetal, Frazier, Huggins, Harden, Jackson, Rayborn

Senate Bill 3142

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 43-27-10, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE INVENTORY OF YOUTH INTERVENTION PROGRAMS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES; TO COLLECT AND STUDY DATA; TO DEVELOP A MEANS FOR DISSEMINATING THE INFORMATION ACQUIRED TO YOUTH COURT OFFICIALS, LOCAL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LEADERS AND OTHERS WHO DEAL WITH MISSISSIPPI YOUTH; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 43-27-10, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

43-27-10. (a) The Mississippi Department of Human Services shall exercise executive and administrative supervision over all state-owned facilities used for the detention, training, care, treatment and aftercare supervision of delinquent children properly committed to or confined in said facilities by a court on account of such delinquency; provided, however, such executive and administrative supervision under state-owned facilities shall not extend to any institutions and facilities for which executive and administrative supervision has been provided otherwise by law through other agencies.

(b) Such facilities shall include, but not be limited to, the Columbia Training School created by Chapter 111, Laws of 1916, and the Oakley Training School created by Chapter 205, Laws of 1942, and those facilities authorized by Laws, 1994, ch. 652.

(c) The department shall have the power as a corporate body to receive, hold and use personal, real and mixed property donated to them or property acquired under Section 43-27-35, and shall have such other corporate authority as shall now or hereafter be necessary for the operation of any such facility. The department shall be responsible for the planning, development and coordination of a statewide, comprehensive youth services program designed to train and rehabilitate children in order to prevent, control and retard juvenile delinquency.

(d) The department is authorized to develop and implement diversified programs and facilities to promote, enhance, provide and assure the opportunities for the successful care, training and treatment of delinquent children properly committed to or confined in any facility under its control. Such programs and facilities may include, but not be limited to, training schools, foster homes, halfway houses, forestry camps, regional diagnostic centers, detention centers and other state and local community-based programs and facilities.

(e) The department is authorized to acquire whatever hazard, casualty or workers' compensation insurance is necessary for any property, real or personal, owned, leased or rented by the department or for any employees or personnel hired by the department and may acquire professional liability insurance on all employees as deemed necessary and proper by the department. All premiums due and payable on account thereof shall be paid out of the funds of the department.

(f) The department shall inventory Mississippi's various local youth intervention programs, both public and private, and collect and study data relating to the programs on an ongoing basis in order to determine what programs have the most effective methods and positive results. The department also shall develop a means for disseminating this information to youth court officials, local public and private leaders, and others who deal with youth.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1998.