Kent County launches pilot program for young offenders

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) - On the eve of the trial of four men - veterans of the juvenile court system - charged in the beating death of a 66-year-old man, Kent County Family Court has launched a pilot program aimed at getting more intensive help to young offenders being raised in neglectful homes.

Charged in the death of Willie Jones are Mark Kopp, 19, Joshua Rogers, 18, Chad Maleski, 18, and James Rivero, 20. Jury selection in their trials was expected to begin Monday.

Jones was abducted from a bowling alley, severely beaten, thrown into the trunk of his car and stabbed before being left to die in the woods, police say. His body was found in Mecosta County in March.

The four charged had been in and out of the juvenile court system for years. All had been neglected by their parents, according to court records.

Judge Patricia Gardner and other Family Court officials poured over the suspects' thick case files. The boys, they found, had been given every remedy the court had to offer - probation, counseling, foster care and even institutions.

Under the Family Court's new plan, the court still will deal with a child's juvenile crimes. But at the same time, DA Blodgett Services for Children and Families, a social service agency, will work with parents to improve home environments.

The venture is a joint project between the court and the Kent County office of state Child Protective Services. It is focused on children ages 11 and younger who are referred to Family Court, usually because they've committed a crime.

Typically, these young offenders are not violent. They commit nuisance crimes, such as shoplifting, property damage or theft from other children.

But a closer look at their home lives often reveals many hours spent unsupervised and without curfews, and parents with drug or alcohol problems, court officials said.

The children's repeated visits to the courthouse leave judges and caseworkers frustrated, especially if parents seem unconcerned.

Gardner hopes this early intervention program, with its separate focus on the parents, will curb chronic offenses.