Name: Jeremiah S. Jeremiah, Jr.
Age: 66
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Position: Chief Judge Rhode Island Family Court
Background: Appointed as the Chief Judge of the Rhode Island Family Court in 1987 after having served as an Associate Justice of the Court since 1986. As Chief Judge, he oversees 11 associate justices, one general magistrate, six magistrates and 180 employees. Judge Jeremiah has been a member of numerous boards and committees dedicated to the improvement of justice for Rhode Island’s children and families. In December 2000 he received the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding service and dedication to the young people and their families of Rhode Island.
Education: Boston University, BA in 1957, and JD in 1961.
Family: A lifelong resident of Cranston, until recently, Judge Jeremiah was married to the late Jane Penelope for 37 years, with whom he had three daughters. Recently married to Theresa, the couple now makes their home in Warren. Judge Jeremiah has three grandchildren.
If you don’t think truancy is a problem that impacts you – think again. In cities and towns throughout Rhode Island, the number of children missing school days unexcused is staggering.
For the short-term, many of these children are getting into trouble, and as a result, perhaps disrupting your business – or shoplifting your goods. Long-term these children are throwing away an education – an opportunity. And they aren’t getting even the basic skills that would allow them entrance into our workforce.
Perhaps the seriousness of the problem can be gauged in part by the fact that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded $898,000 to fund Rhode Island’s “Stop Truancy Outreach Program.”
Since juvenile matters are confidential, each case is heard in closed session. In Truancy Court, once a child misses ten or more unexcused days of school, the truant officer files a truancy petition with the Family Court Juvenile Clerk’s Office. The truancy petition is immediately docketed for the Family Court Truancy Calendar which is heard within two to three weeks. Parents and children are summoned to appear in court. All truant children are arraigned separately and given the choice to either have their case set down for trial or monitored weekly by the Truancy Court.
Often, the juveniles find themselves before Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah.
PBN: How significant a problem is truancy here in Rhode Island?
JEREMIAH: It is significant in certain areas. For instance, we started at Hope High School in Providence. At Hope High School on any particular day 25 percent of the children are absent with unexcused absences. That’s in the morning. We don’t know how many kids are out of school by afternoon. But the law says that you don’t have to go to school after you are 16 years of age. So we decided we shouldn’t be going into the high schools, we should be going into the middle schools. So that’s where we are. It depends on the community as far as the significance of the truancy problem.
Is it higher in the more urban cities?
It’s higher in Providence than it may be in West Warwick.
Does the problem exist in all of Rhode Island’s cities and towns?
The Bristol/Warren school district asked us to come into their community. Cranston asked us to come into their community. I’m not sure what the problem is in other communities, but we only go where we are asked.
Does truancy cross over economic, social and racial boundaries?
Oh sure. I may not hear from some of the rich communities. I know of towns where they have some serious drug problems, but they don’t make anything of it.
What are you hoping to accomplish through this outreach program?
Number one, to give the child the opportunity for education that he or she deserves. Every child deserves that opportunity. Two, to work with the families to show them the importance of getting an education. Some parents don’t realize that importance. And as a rule, if a child is in school, he or she is not out committing an act that may be criminal in nature. For example, shoplifting or destroying property.
What will the U.S. Department of Justice grant allow you to do?
We want to do tutoring. We want to do family counseling. We want to do remedial reading classes. We want to get out and work with the children.
So this grant should allow for some special attention for those children who really need it?
Absolutely. It will help the child who isn’t going to pass. Not everybody is going to pass Spanish. And they shouldn’t be in that course. They lose interest. There is no incentive for them.
In you’re dealing with young people, what are the common reasons they give for not going to school?
It’s a lot of things. The first session of the Truancy Court, I sat as the judge. Here are some of the things I heard; ‘If I come to go to school, there are certain students who have threatened to assault me.’ Another is; ‘I have to translate for my parent who does not speak English and they had a doctor’s appointment.’ And sometimes, they say, it is the school’s fault. ‘Mrs. Jones has had me in class for two years and has flunked me – what makes you think Mrs. Jones is going to pass me this year.’ And some of them, they say they just can’t get up in the morning. Those are the excuses I hear.
So where does the responsibility for getting these children in school – for keeping them there – fall? Is it in the laps of the parents and guardians?
It could be the school department’s responsibility, too.
Do the schools need to be more vigilant in addressing the problem?
I would not use the word vigilant. But they need to be more understanding. They need to communicate with the parent.
I imagine troubled students are a disruption to the learning process. There must be a danger in thinking the school day would proceed better without them. Is there a way to motivate teachers and parents – everyone involved – to understand how important it is to keep these children in school?
Two years ago we had 9,000 juvenile petitions filed – that was approximately 5,500 kids. Unfortunately, some children have more than one petition. These are all different complaints. Of those 9,000 petitions filed, 94 percent of those kids were truant at one time or another. KidsCount looked at the training school, and they interviewed 12 hard-core criminals. That’s murder, rape, and robbery. All of them had been truant the previous year – before committing their crimes.
How do you see the problem of truancy manifesting itself as these young people grow up? Obviously, if a young person isn’t attending middle school or high school, the likelihood of their attending college becomes remote.
We don’t expect everyone to go to college. But we do expect everyone to have a basic education so that they can function in society. I once stopped off a highway at a cart to buy a hot dog and Coke. The hot dog was $2 and the Coke was $1. I gave the fellow $5 and he had to get his calculator out to give me $2. That’s not a basic education. Everyone needs to be able to read and write – and understand.
Why should the business community be concerned about this problem of truancy?
The business community is concerned about education – and believes that every person should have an education. First, it gives them the opportunity to hire someone who has the knowledge and ability to perform whatever it is they are asked to do. And two, I would assume they would be happy to know that a child who is in school and being tutored or is getting extra help, is not out there interfering with what they do.
Even in a struggling economy, unemployment here is generally below 5 percent. It’s a tight labor market. Do young people realize the employment opportunities that are available to them if they get even a basic education?
A lot of children don’t. It’s amazing, but they don’t. I have children in front of me and I’ll ask them what they want to do in life. And they can’t tell me. They have no interest at all. It’s a shame. These are children who are 16 and 17 – not very young.
Would it help for the business community to be more proactive in reaching out and telling their own stories of success – of opportunity?
We may be reaching out to them more. With our Drug Court, we have looked for help from the business community and they’ve been very helpful in finding us jobs. We engage the business community.
In a recession such as the one we appear to be entering, does your courtroom get busier?
We may see a slight increase in divorce cases basedtoday the argument was that ‘we’re separating because we’ve had financial problems and have been fighting.’ Typically, when money is scarce and people have a desire for material things and they can’t get them, there is friction and tension in the house. It’s unfortunate, but it happens.
(Photo by Brian McDonald)
