As a Washington State teenager's parent you are no one to the justice system. According to an article in the Seattle Times, if your teen is between the age of 13 and 16, the police don't have to notify you that they are questioning your child. If they're 17, they're more or less considered and treated as adults. God forbid your child has a mental issue or learning problem, like my son, C.He was incapable of making a good decision in the process,such as shutting his mouth and asking for a lawyer. And because he has no impulse control, he was quite happy to talk about what happened with the detective.
My first contact with the jail was with a Juvenile Parole Counselor (JPC). They might let you talk to your child. When this happened for us, the JPC told me he'd call me back with my son. But apparently 5 pm quitting time was far more important. In the mean time he asked me maybe 5 questions like is C. in therapy, is he taking medications, etc. What pissed me off was that he asked me if C. had trouble controlling his anger. I had to take a few seconds to think about how to describe it, but I was given 1/2 a second. "Ok, so yes." Next question. I made him go back it pissed me off so bad. I know that anyone I'm talking to can be used against him. And I explained that while, he may say he is angry sometimes, he has always been quite proud of not ever displaying anger. Ever.
After that, I heard nothing for a day when someone from the public defenders office called me about the first 'charging' hearing. After the hearing nothing except when there's a hearing they want me to attend or the lawyer calls for information. But those are far and few between.
It is like your child has been killed. They are just gone. At the same time you're trying to understand what the hell happened. You don't have a right to know. The police won't release an arrest report until your child is charged, and then only if they are charged as an adult. And then you have to pay for it. If the crime is serious enough the only way you find anything out is from the newspapers. That's a Catch-22. They're mostly wrong, except for bail amounts. Oh, and the moment your child is charged as an adult, they print his name.
It's now been 3 months. I've had more calls from the jail nurse than my son's attorney, associated social worker or JPC. And all of them I can count on less than 10 fingers.
Case Highlights Law on Juvenile Interrogations, © 2005
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/case-highlights-law-on-juvenile-interrogations/
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Dropping off Meds
Late last night I saw that I had received a phone call from the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) at 9:45 pm. I'm not sure why they always call after 9:00 pm. Every time I see it, I nearly have a heart attack. I always think something really bad has happened. After all he IS in jail. We've all seen the TV shows - people getting shanked - and who knows how many gang members are there with him.
No, it's the nurse calling. He's almost out of meds. Can I bring more? Of course C is on ADHD meds, plus. The first time was just a day or so after he went in. When the jail called me the very first time, I talked to a Juvenile Probation Counselor (JPC) who asked me if he was on meds. So that's how they knew to call me about them. I don't trust talking to JPCs at all. They're way too quick to jump to conclusions based on any slight intonation in your voice or slight hesitation in answering. And they can use what you say against your child. And I don't want years added to his sentence because they mistook what I said.
How do meds work? The State doesn't pay for them. If you can get your regular doctor to prescribe, you continue using them for prescriptions. If you have the high-security meds, their psychiatrist will write the prescriptions for child. But they're sent to your pharmacy and you have to pick them up and then bring them to the detention center. They're opened until some crazy time at night, 11:00 pm I think is what one person on the phone told me. But I think 9:00 pm is more apt to be right. I don't think there are deputies on duty after that to get into the front door.
I was 'lucky' that C had an appointment with his psychiatrist the week after he was arrested. I still went to the appointment to see what to do. She wrote a script and this was the last set of pills that I had. I don't feel like I can go back when C isn't in tow and ask for another. Next month will be interesting. What will I have to do as far as my insurance company goes? Hopefully not a problem.
To drop off meds you have to go to the visitor's window. It's down in the basement, the hole - the same place you check in for visits. This is more than just a window. It's like a single bullet proof bank teller's station, just more dreary. And because of the glass you have to talk to them on a phone to the right of the window. But they have no idea you've picked it up most of the time. So most of your communication is sign language.
So it was a dreary misty rain day up on Capitol Hill at noon. Lunch time was the only time I could go. I hate going there. But I really hate going when I know I won't get to see C. (Seeing him is just as miserable.) I know he will know that I've been to drop of medication, but didn't see him. But I'm only allowed to see him a couple times a week. I want to cry coming and going. Three months after all of this started, I still just want to cry.
A note, if your child is in adult jail. Even if you have a prescription for the meds, they will not give your child meds considered controlled substances which most ADHD meds and other psychiatric meds are. This is what my son told me. This surprised me. One of the rights that a person has is to be able to help in creating his defense. In the case of my son, not being on his meds would not allow him to aid in the creation of his defense. I see a law suit waiting to happen here, if it isn't happening already.
No, it's the nurse calling. He's almost out of meds. Can I bring more? Of course C is on ADHD meds, plus. The first time was just a day or so after he went in. When the jail called me the very first time, I talked to a Juvenile Probation Counselor (JPC) who asked me if he was on meds. So that's how they knew to call me about them. I don't trust talking to JPCs at all. They're way too quick to jump to conclusions based on any slight intonation in your voice or slight hesitation in answering. And they can use what you say against your child. And I don't want years added to his sentence because they mistook what I said.
How do meds work? The State doesn't pay for them. If you can get your regular doctor to prescribe, you continue using them for prescriptions. If you have the high-security meds, their psychiatrist will write the prescriptions for child. But they're sent to your pharmacy and you have to pick them up and then bring them to the detention center. They're opened until some crazy time at night, 11:00 pm I think is what one person on the phone told me. But I think 9:00 pm is more apt to be right. I don't think there are deputies on duty after that to get into the front door.
I was 'lucky' that C had an appointment with his psychiatrist the week after he was arrested. I still went to the appointment to see what to do. She wrote a script and this was the last set of pills that I had. I don't feel like I can go back when C isn't in tow and ask for another. Next month will be interesting. What will I have to do as far as my insurance company goes? Hopefully not a problem.
To drop off meds you have to go to the visitor's window. It's down in the basement, the hole - the same place you check in for visits. This is more than just a window. It's like a single bullet proof bank teller's station, just more dreary. And because of the glass you have to talk to them on a phone to the right of the window. But they have no idea you've picked it up most of the time. So most of your communication is sign language.
So it was a dreary misty rain day up on Capitol Hill at noon. Lunch time was the only time I could go. I hate going there. But I really hate going when I know I won't get to see C. (Seeing him is just as miserable.) I know he will know that I've been to drop of medication, but didn't see him. But I'm only allowed to see him a couple times a week. I want to cry coming and going. Three months after all of this started, I still just want to cry.
A note, if your child is in adult jail. Even if you have a prescription for the meds, they will not give your child meds considered controlled substances which most ADHD meds and other psychiatric meds are. This is what my son told me. This surprised me. One of the rights that a person has is to be able to help in creating his defense. In the case of my son, not being on his meds would not allow him to aid in the creation of his defense. I see a law suit waiting to happen here, if it isn't happening already.
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