07/19/2025
Juvenile Court Is Rehabilitation, Not Punishment
When we think about court, most of us think about crimes and punishment. But as time goes on and things change, courts are becoming more about rehabilitation than punishment for wrongdoings.
Juvenile Court is a prime example of rehab versus punishment. In a recent discussion with Union County Juvenile Judge Travis Patterson, he explained his position on the subject which is adhering to the law.
“When we look at juveniles, our goal is to rehabilitate and make sure we are getting them the help to correct whatever issues are causing the behavior. Our job is to get them the treatment/resources they need so they do not reoffend as an adult”, stated the Judge.
As we hear about juveniles who are breaking the law, most do not go to ‘jail.’ Juvenile are placed in correctional facilities only if their offenses are very serious. What may appear to the public as a serious offense, the law may not allow the juvenile to be placed into a detention center. Following the law can take away from the discretion of a judge. Judge Patterson says that Union County is very fortunate to not have a lot of juvenile violence.
Union County does not have a juvenile detention center so officials must utilize the ones in Knox and Scott Counties. Sending a juvenile to detention means spending taxpayer’s dollars. A month in juvenile detention means over $3,000 of tax dollars spent. In addition, each juvenile has to be transported back and forth for court during their stay. Although his annual budget includes funding for detention, Judge Patterson considers all options before making the decision to incarcerate a juvenile.
“I follow the law, and I make decisions on what those laws are,” stated Patterson. “Judges cannot make the law from the bench…that’s not what we are here for. If someone disagrees with a law, they should contact their local legislator with their concerns.”
Judge Patterson says his decisions are not always popular, but he takes his job very seriously. He just asks that his decisions are respected even though folks don’t always agree with them.
