Recently, the Kalamazoo Gazette published my photo documentary of the Kalamazoo County Juvenile Home in conjunction with reporters Julie Mack and Rex Hall’s series about the decline in delinquency.
When I began my internship at the Gazette, my goal was to come away with at least one finished photo project. Unfortunately, I was forced to wrap up my story quickly after accepting a full-time photo job in Pennsylvania. However, are any photo documentaries ever truly finished?
It was a rewarding test for me as a photographer as it required patience, trust, long hours and a thick skin. With the help of the accommodating and friendly juvenile home staff, I came away with a visual representation of what life is like for the incarcerated children in this state-of-the-art facility. I wanted to equally show the positive programming that teaches skill building, conflict resolution, etc. while shedding light on the punishment angle.
Identities were protected and faces were never shown.
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Juvenile delinquency in Kalamazoo County is on a downward trend, according to a variety of measures.
“It can be very damaging for a kid to get detained, particularly to their education. There are interventions that you can provide for kids and families that are more productive than just locking a kid up,” Weichlein said.
“Putting someone in jail, that’s easy. But it doesn’t necessarily help the problem.”
Weichlein, who retired in 2012, said that concern prompted his staff to do more to address underlying issues of juvenile delinquency. They stepped up efforts to work with families; developed alternatives to incarceration, such as community service; worked harder to connect troubled youths with mental-health services and behavior-modification programs. Those initiatives were aided by construction of a new Juvenile Home that opened in 2009 and is specifically designed to provide a more therapeutic environment rather than a punitive one.
“I think the juvenile home has evolved from a place where kids were held and released, to one that really deals with their behavior,” said Tom Noblet, its treatment director.
The key to addressing that behavior is building positive relationships between adults and troubled teens, said Tim Nelson, treatment manager at the 64-bed facility juvenile home on Gull Road.
“The research has shown that locking kids up is not a deterrent. It doesn’t deter kids at all,” Nelson said. “Building relationships, that’s the most effective way” to change behavior.
In talking about changes in youth behavior, local officials invariably reference the ripple impact of The Kalamazoo Promise, a universal scholarship program for graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools.
To be sure, there is no concrete evidence The Promise has had an impact on juvenile crime, and some people are hesitant to make the link.
But others say it’s no coincidence that juvenile crime started dropping not long after The Promise was introduced in late 2005.
“People are helping youths find more positive outlets,” said Pat Taylor, head of the Eastside Neighborhood Association. “The Promise was a catalyst.”
(Reporting by Julie Mack | Kalamazoo Gazette. To read more about the series, click this link.)
