Enough Blame to Go Around
Johanna Orozco deserved better from us

It’s hard to believe that in 1930, when the Juvenile Court Building (more commonly known as the Detention Home) first opened its doors it was considered a model for the entire nation to see and emulate. What happened over the intervening years? How did we go so wrong — from first to almost dead last — over the decades in terms of how we care for our most vulnerable and precious population, our at-risk children? There are, of course, as many opinions and answers as there are social commentators putting them forth. However, as with most matters of public policy and practice, politics (or, more accurately, the failings of politics) is usually the answer.

Nonetheless, in view of the recent tragic shooting of a teenaged girl by her supposed boyfriend (and in spite of the political ramifications and consequences), perhaps now is the time for a spotlight to be focused on what has been a festering problem for years: Overcrowding at the juvenile detention facility and an overburdened, dysfunctional and underperforming juvenile court system. And perhaps the loving family of this young woman are just the right folks to do it... if they don’t get sidetracked by a politically savvy system.

A historical perspective is needed to better understand how we got to where we are today. Jim Lardie, the local leader of “For the Children,” a nationwide child advocacy organization, is one of Cuyahoga County’s staunchest (and perhaps most knowledgeable) children’s advocate. Over the last 20 or so years he has also been one of the current failing system’s most vociferous critics, consistently warning that we were on a collision course with just the type of incident that now has 18-year-old Johanna Orozco lying in a MetroHealth Medical Center intensive care unit in an induced coma. Sadly, few have listened to Jim Lardie over the years.

Over 15 years ago then-Juvenile Court Administrative Judge Leodis Harris did listen and began agitating for a new facility to replace the antiquated and over-crowded monstrosity the 22nd Street facility has become. First elected to the bench in 1976, when he ascended to the position of administrative judge in 1989 Judge Harris began to campaign for a new facility. However, he wanted to place it on an unused plot of land near E. 61st and Euclid Avenue. Development interests had their eyes on the site and did not want to see it used for kids ... especially kids that were virtually all Black or Hispanic, and usually from poor families. Judge Harris argued too loudly, too strenuously and too passionately for this population, and for his effort he was unseated. The powers that be warned him to tone down his rhetoric, and when he didn’t they ran one of the “O’s” against him. You know, one of the O’Keef’s, the O’Kellys, the O’Irelands that always can win because of how the Cuyahoga County name game is played at the polls. This one just happened to have a different surname name, but Irish nonetheless. Incidentally, the plot of land Judge Harris wanted to use? — well, it still sits empty and unused over a decade later. Go figure.

So, although the critical need for a new facility has been well known and documented for over two decades, ground has yet to been broken. Why? Evidently it’s because kids — minority kids that is — don’t count in Cuyahoga County. They can’t vote, their parents too often don’t vote, so they don’t matter to the politicians making the decisions in regards to how funds are allocated.

It should be noted that virtually no White kids — unless they are from very poor families — ever set foot inside the juvenile detention facility. Remember several years ago when a 16-year-old White kid in Shaker Heights killed his girlfriend? He never set foot in the Detention Home, not for one minute. Why? Because his family was very well off. But, take note of this: White people have more in common with Black people than they do with rich people ... but they just don’t seem to understand that truism... or the fact they’ve been played by rich folks into opposition to Black folks, for the sake of rich folks.

But this recent tragic incident could spur some much-needed changes ... that is, if the system — and the elected officials that have allowed it to deteriorate to this dangerous point — is not once again let off of the hook. Orozco’s courageous family has bravely come forth to publicly indict the system, and their concerns should not be brushed aside by artful and politically inspired responses from Juvenile Court administrators.

Any fool knows that it’s impossible to predict the behavior of a love-struck teenaged boy, especially a troubled one like 17-year-old Juan Ruiz. So the decision to allow him to remain free on home monitoring is not the critical issue here. That was an unfortunate judgment call made by a magistrate that had to tailor her decision in light of the reality of the limited bed space available. She obviously thought there were far more troubled and dangerous youth out there, and whatever beds (or floor space) might be available should be reserved for them — and her supervisors obviously were in agreement. But it would not have been an issue at all if politicians had moved in anything resembling a timely manner years ago to rectify the bed shortage by building a new facility. Indeed, ground was supposed to be broken back in 1994, but judges (who, at the time, were acting more juvenile than the children they were supposed to be serving and protecting) blocked construction with a lawsuit.

Count. Just count how many shiny new facilities (edifices built and dedicated to the Great Gods Ball — you know, Basket-Ball, Foot-Ball, Base-Ball) have been erected in Cuyahoga County while a new Juvenile Court and Detention Facility has gone wanting. Not to mention a Rock Hall to boot. But building facilities to house mainly children from inner-city neighborhoods of Cleveland doesn’t win any votes countywide, does it?

Bart Lublow, the director of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s program for high-risk youth, tried to come to the rescue of court officials by stating that too many juveniles are already kept in detention, and I, with caveats, agree. He’s right that we, as a society, in the long term need to devote more resources to developing methods of assisting these youth, not just locking them up. However, in the short term the greater need is the protection of the Johannas of the world, and society at large. There are some tough, bad-assed young dudes out there (basically adults in their behaviors) that we have already failed, and until programs are adequately funded to properly assist them we need to protect our daughters, sons and selves. Why don’t these well-meaning (but naïve) people who probably are safely ensconced in a safe suburb allow those of us who reside in the inner city the same safety they enjoy? I doubt if Mr. Lublow — liberal, caring individual that he is — would have cared enough to take young Mr. Ruiz home with him, now would he?

The family of Johanna Orozco is exceptionally brave in stepping up and calling for change, but they should not go for the quick fix of simply attempting to have the magistrate removed because it is easier to focus anger on a person than a system. If they make that mistake the system is off the hook. County administrators will quickly jettison Ms. Williams if the media sledding gets too tough, and then say, “We did what you asked, we fired her, case closed, now go away.” This family has backed into a real opportunity to force real change; they should not take this opportunity lightly, nor squander it on a transitory “feel good” moment.

Juan Ruiz is at fault; Magistrate Laura Williams is possibly at fault; politicians that failed to find a way to build a new facility to help children certainly are at fault; but mostly at fault is the society that tolerates screwed up priorities ... and that means me and you. We’re all — with the exception of Jim Lardie and Judge Leodis Harris —responsible for Johanna being in that hospital bed facing years of reconstructive surgery.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com

Frazier is a freelance journalist who lives in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood with his wife Brenda and two dogs, Gypsy and Ginger.

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