Training School to Close

After years of investigation, the Columbia Training School will be closing. The all-girl facility has been investigated for allegations from of abuse, and two federal lawsuits have been filed.

From the Clarion Ledger:

Inadequate staffing and "quality of care" issues were cited as reasons the school needs to be closed. Legislation is needed to close the school.

There should be no opposition from the legislature. Another primary complaint about the facility was the cost- it should save the state another $2.7M.

The girls will be moved to Oakley, an all-male facility, but DHS has promised adequate measures will be taken to separate the girls and boys.

Congratulations to the Mississippi Youth Justice Project who has tirelessly worked on reforming the juvenile justice system!

DHS: This is what you're worried about

According to the big press conference outside the Capitol yesterday morning, the Mississippi Department of Human Services has a new mission: protecting marriage.

Yes- despite everything else that needs to be addressed in Mississippi, DHS's top priority is marriage.

From WLBT:

You may not think the state government can legislate marriage or parenthood, but at a rally Thursday morning on the steps of the State Capitol, state leaders say strengthening the marriage covenant in today's society will make Mississippi better for everyone.

Pastor D. L. Govan and his wife, Helen, counsel couples on parenting and marriage, and they know a thing or two on both subjects. The Govans have eight children and 15 grandchildren after 58 years of marriage. Their idea of healthy marriage starts with communication.

"They need to have as many meals together as possible without television. They need to spend quality private time with their children. They need to converse as a family," said Govan.

2006 was the first year in the state's history more children were born to out of wedlock mothers than two parent homes. Don Taylor, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, hopes this healthy marriage rally will be the beginning of a turn around in Mississippi.

"A child born to a mother with a college degree is three and a half times more likely to be poor than one born to a married mother with only a high school education," Taylor said. "Eighty percent of our poor would escape poverty if they were married."

The state would be economically better as well.

"This is not about morality it's about holding together society," said Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant.

I'm not sure if Taylor's statistics come from Dr. Dobson or not, but there definitely seems to be a bias in his argument that men solve all the financial problems in a relationship. Maybe the problem might be that women with a college education are still paid significanlty less than their male counterparts in the same job. Of DHS's 10 Most Wanted for Failure to Pay Child Support, 9 out of 10 are men.

Our government could be spending their time in a much better fashion than preaching morals to us.