Leaders of the New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF) will speak at public hearings on a new juvenile justice initiative being billed as “reform,” but which, in reality, will put youths and the community at risk. The new Close to Home initiative focuses on reducing the placement of troubled youths in facilities operated by [...]
The Following is a verbatum copy of the letter from former OCFS employee Ed Ausborn. This letter is a response to a letter from B. Baccaglini to the times union about a new program called BLUE SKIES ( Placing NYC youth in their home for treatment instead of Upstate Facilities ). Juveniles Deserve Better I [...]
Continue reading about NY. What an OCFS insider has to say about OCFS’ Juvenile Policies
Yesterday a violent youth released from OCFS’ juvenile custody shot a NYC police officer in the back of the head critically wounding him. OCFS’ staff who have been repeatedly injured by these youth offenders and Civil Service Employees Association, are using this latest high profile crime in New York City as just another illustration of [...]
Less than a week after Griffo called for better safety measures at a state-run detention facility for young females in response to union claims of injuries to 18 of 33 of its aides, another staff member was assaulted. Troopers said there was a “disturbance” on the afternoon of Jan. 17 among the residents and staff [...]
Continue reading about NY. More youth violence and injured staff at NY OCFS facilities
Broken bones, a dislocated shoulder and even a concussion are some of the injuries workers at the Taberg Residential Center have brought home with them according to the Civil Service Employees Association. Eighteen of the center’s 33 Youth Division Aides are out of work due to injuries suffered at the hands of youthful offenders housed [...]
Continue reading about NY. Eighteen workers injured by youths at NY OCFS detention facility
The head of New York’s largest public employee union said workers in state juvenile detention facilities are literally taking a beating at the hands of youths assigned to their care. CSEA President Danny Donohue warned about increasingly dangerous conditions in the facilities, including one where 19 staff, including the facility director, have recently been victims [...]
The New York Times continued on Friday its important, but distressing, series of articles on the maltreatment of the developmentally disabled in New York State and the lack of oversight of their care in the state’s group homes. Friday’s article focused on the misuse of antipsychotic medication to restrain residents’ behavior, instead of treating their [...]
Continue reading about NYT: Developmentally Disabled in New York Are Getting Too Many Antipsychotics
Former OCFS employees are all firmly united in their claims that the root cause of the surge in violence can be traced back to the moment Gladys Carrion assumed the reigns of the OCFS. Many cited a marked increase in gang violence at state facilities as testament to the failure of the administration’s policies. Carrion [...]
Two Berkshire Farm Center runaways sought by State Police over the weekend were taken into custody late Sunday. Xavier Rowse, of Greenwich, and Austin Parent, of Northumberland, both 16, ran away from the Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth in Caanan late Friday. The youths reportedly stole a 2005 Nissan X-terra from a parking [...]
Continue reading about NY. OCFS still has runaway issues at licensed children homes