Tribal Codes Adviser Plans Juvenile Justice Conference in Utah Story-Date: 08:18 a.m. PST Sunday , November 9, 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------ Tribal Codes Adviser Plans Juvenile Justice Conference in Utah By K. Marie Porterfield, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News SALT LAKE CITY, Utah--Nov. 10--Tribal codes need to be updated to keep up with the recent rise in juvenile crime and to protect the rights of young people, according to Siamak Khadjenoury, executive director of Behavioral Health Consultants. "Many tribes don't have laws against minor prostitution," Mr. Khadjenoury said. When a reservation twelve-year-old is forced by a parent to perform sexual acts for a price, no legal action can be taken. "Child prostitution isn't a crime," he said. "You can't charge the parent with child abuse or soliciting or even child endangerment. "Tribal statues and codes concerning juvenile crimes are often inadequate or antiquated," he said. Mr. Khadjenoury, who has worked with tribal governments in Washington State, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada, on juvenile justice issues is planning a conference to be held in Salt Lake City in March. The gathering will draw together law enforcement and justice personnel, and social workers to take a long, hard look at what can be done to improve juvenile justice for American Indian youth both on reservation and in urban settings. Some topics that will be covered include sources of grant money, reservation-based support services, training, and sentencing alternatives. Two major challenges that also need to be met in the face of rising juvenile crime are a shortages of trained juvenile judges and detention facilities on American Indian Reservations. According to Mr. Khadjenoury, 90 percent of the tribal courts in the U.S. don't have juvenile judges. U.S. Justice Department figures place the number of tribal juvenile detention facilities in the U.S. at 10. One of the main purposes of the March meeting is to share information and resources, Mr. Khadjenoury said. For more information about the conference or to provide planning input, call (801 ) 485-4989. ----- Visit Indian Country Today on the World Wide Web at http://www.indiancountry.com/ ----- (c) 1997, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. ------------------------------------------------------------