Q&A: Program director discusses communication, visitation, early release of juvenile detainees

Peyton Forte discusses youth incarceration with Teresa Cuthbertson, program director at the Guilford County Juvenile Detention Center in Greensboro, N.C.

Peyton Forte:

As a program director, is it part of your job to vet which programs you think would work and which ones you think would not?

Teresa Cuthbertson:

As the program manager, I supervise the supervisors that are carrying out the programs on each shift. We work on assessing what programs we do have in place with our mental health, alcohol and drug services. We meet regularly to look at how things are going. And I'm over the volunteers and interns.

This year we started a human trafficking program. It's not like it used to be. It's not like somebody just kidnaps you and takes you away. So some of these girls are still allowed to do things that they normally would do, but then it's like, well, then you got to give him some of your money. Things had changed a little bit as far as that goes. We also had religious volunteers that come out and talk to our kids.

Forte:

A bill passed in December that expanded the ages for juveniles coming into the system. In the four months since that legislation passed, have you seen any growth in the number of juveniles in your facility?

Cuthbertson:

Yes, we have actually. What it has done is caused us to change the number of kids that we take from other counties, because we don't just service Guilford County. We service Forsyth, Davidson, Stokes and Rockingham County.

Forte:

It is my understanding that all jails and prisons in North Carolina were not accepting visitation during the pandemic. Was that the case for your facility?

Cuthbertson:

That is correct. That was ordered by Governor [Roy] Cooper, that we restrict. The only hearings were detention hearings to see if the kid was going to continue to stay with us or if they could be released. So we did have to limit visitation because we get kids from so many different areas. We’ve got to make sure that the ones that are here, that can't go anywhere, are staying safe.

Forte:

What measures did the detention center put in place so that those kids would still able to have contact their family members?

Cuthbertson:

For each of our kids, their juvenile court counselor issues a phone permit. That gives us the list of people that they're allowed to call. It's usually parents or guardians. A cousin, boyfriend or girlfriend wouldn't be on the phone permit.

Forte:

How much does it cost to make a phone call?

Cuthbertson:

It costs a minimum of $25 to establish a PayPal account. The price of the call depends on the distance the child is calling, and it can be anywhere from 40 to 70 cents a minute.

The call is 15 minutes, then it times out. After 15 minutes, it'll give the kid a warning that they have one minute remaining. That way they can go ahead and wrap it up, but then, it hangs up automatically.

Forte:

After that 15 minutes, do the kids get any other time to call that day?

Cuthbertson:

They could, but we have to make sure that everybody that wants to make a phone call is allowed to make one. Our housing pods -- we got two that hold eight kids and four pods that hold seven, so we want to make sure it's fair. After your 15 minute call is up and nobody else wants to use the phone, then you could call somebody else.

Forte:

Are other alternatives made available for communication, such as video chatting?

Cuthbertson:

Right now we don't have that, but, of course, they can write letters. It's something we were looking at if the pandemic lasts much longer. Not every family can get to us. We are located by the airport, kind of in the middle of nowhere. Some people were waiting on public transportation or for somebody to give them a ride to get here.

We had a TV here where they could try to connect with their families. That had been about seven or eight years ago ... Right now, it currently is not available. That's something we were looking into if the [pandemic restrictions] last much longer; it's important for kids to be able to see their family members, not just to talk to them on the phone. There are other safeguards that we would have to work out, because if I'm video chatting with you… you would want to make sure it's confidential.

Forte:

Did you or do you have any early release measures to alleviate the overcrowding and to help with safe, social distancing?

Cuthbertson:

Yes. … We have had several kids be released on house arrest. And then if there is a kid in the community and the police come in contact with them, it's a nonviolent offense, then they're letting most kids go home. And then calling the court counselor to seek a petition. That child, you know, would then get a court date. They don't necessarily have to come here. So that's what we’ve started as well. Our “Bound over” juveniles have a bond -- but the regular population -- they don't have a bond so it's up to a judge to release them. Certainly we've had a slew of kids go home. With people staying at home and not having much of an outlet that's causing crime to increase in some areas and calls to 9-1-1. That doesn't mean everybody's being locked up, but arguing, domestic violence, those kinds of things... there's an uptick with people being in the house. We are releasing the kids that we can -- but certain kids with murder charges, real serious charges and kids that might be waiting on out-of-home placement and it's not appropriate for them to go back home -- those are the kids that are staying with us.

See related: Teresa Cuthbertson employee spotlight.