Officials say educating juvenile offenders about the consequences of their actions may help keep them out of the criminal justice system as adults. Rights and Responsibilities for Young Adults in South Dakota is a book for kids that are getting in trouble with the law and their families.
Once a young person has gotten into trouble or arrested, the child and his parents or guardians can end up getting a crash course in juvenile law. Navigating through the detention process, the court proceedings, or addressing rehabilitation issues can be confusing.
Rights and Responsibilities for Young People in South Dakota is a book that contains answers to some frequently asked questions about laws and how they pertain to minors.
The book’s co-authors are Vonnie Ackerman and Joe Guttierez. Ackerman is a Prevention Specialist and Counselor with Youth & Family Services in Rapid City. Guttierez is the Commander at the Juvenile Services Center in Rapid City.
Guttierez says the book was written for kids – and parents too.
“I think that when you look at some of the topics that we have – you know we talk about contracts for minors, dealing with the police, drinking and driving, what does it take to get a license? And we get a lot of parents calling about information about alcohol, drugs, and other things called gateway drugs that they’re interested in. So I think that any parent, any juvenile under the age of eighteen, or young adults – it’s a book for them,” says Guttierez.
Guttierez says the conversations that took place between educators and students in a law related education class that began in Sturgis more than a decade ago are the basis for the book. He says Rights and Responsibilities for Young People in South Dakota is available at no cost.
If you’d like a copy of Rights and Responsibilities for Young Adults in South Dakota contact Joe Guttierez at Western South Dakota Juvenile Services Center in Rapid City or Vonnie Ackerman at Youth & Family Services in Rapid City.
Or copy the following URL into your web browser:
https://simpsonsprinting.sharefile.com/download.aspx?id=6d0718a536cf4c56