NY: 2 OCFS Staff Members dead by juvenile assaults,

We told OCFS that this would happen.  Now the State legislature is getting involved.  Let’s see if they do any better.

Situation:

OCFS recently changed its use of force policy where youths in custody are allowed to destroy property without restriction, and staff are not allowed to stop them.  If staff did intervene or try to maintain order or discipline, OCFS indicated these staff on false abuse charges as a chilling effect so staff would not be inclined to intervene or maintain order.  In 2008 it was reported that the juvenile facilities were out of control and assault and injury rates as a result of these policies were at all time highs.

To correct this situation, OCFS decided to reduce staff and move violent juveniles out of correctional centers and place them in non-secure and group home settings.  As a result, one youth placed at Saint Joseph’s Villa non-secure setting escaped, obtained a gun and fired a shot into a Rochester, NY police officer’s head.  Another youth was placed in a group home where he and another youth beat a young (24) female group home worker to death.  A Youth Correctional Officer died of a stroke shortly after being assaulted by a youth who struck him with a wooden board, and reports are citing countless of injuries to staff and youth based on OCFS’s new policies.  NY legislators are reporting that staff are fearful of going to work. Full Story.  OCFS has been informed by countless of sources that its restraint policy is unsafe for both staff and youth. 

In 2006 NY put a task force together.  Now another one is being assembled.   Let’s hope the NY legislature does a better job.

This entry was posted in General, NEW YORK and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.