NY. OCFS juvenile facilities are dangerous. Aide Brutally Beaten by Youths

In the wake of a brutal gang assault by residents on a worker at the Brookwood Secure Center in Columbia County, CSEA is amping up its call for better safety measures to protect staff at youth detention centers run by the state Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS).

“This is further evidence that the state’s current policy for dealing with juvenile offenders not only isn’t working, it’s putting staff at risk” said CSEA President Danny Donohue. “The state is sending people into a war zone every day, unprotected, and the casualties are mounting.”

The attack last Friday left a direct care Youth Division Aide (YDA) with a broken arm, a possible broken eye socket and stitches to his face after being jumped from behind by four residents who beat him with a garbage can, a telephone and plastic chairs.The residents were arraigned on charges of second-degree assault and sent to the Columbia County Jail. They threatened further violence against staff would be forthcoming.

Violent attacks on staff by youths in their care have increased at an alarming rate under current OCFS policies

.Earlier this year, the union filed a complaint with the state Department of Labor ‘s Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) Bureau after discovering that 19 staff at the Taberg Residential Center in Oneida County, including the facility director, were out of work due to severe injuries suffered in attacks by residents there. Their injuries included two broken collarbones, a concussion, a broken ankle and a dislocated shoulder.The resulting investigation led to improvements at that facility, including the temporary assignment of additional management staff and increased worker training. However Taberg and Brookwood are symptomatic of a lager problem.

According to a report issued by the state Department of Civil Service on state employee Workers’ Compensation claims, YDAs have the second highest on-the-job injury rate of all state job titles.

The state is moving to shift juvenile offenders from upstate facilities into nonexistent New York City-based programs. Existing providers are ill-equipped to deal with this population. State officials have yet to provide details as to how they intend to provide appropriate security, supervision, resources and support.

This entry was posted in DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DOJ, juvenile justice, juvenile violence, NEW YORK, OCFS, worker compensation and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

6 Responses to NY. OCFS juvenile facilities are dangerous. Aide Brutally Beaten by Youths

  1. Mako Magnonanzo says:

    As a former YDA at Brookwood I feel sorry for Mr. Camacho, I knew him, he is a good man. As far the offenders in that facility we should call them what they really are, inmates and convicted felons, they are not youth, they are killers, gang bangers, rapist and serial killers lets not kid each others. All the years I worked there, the only think that kept me safe is those convicts knew that I will have no problem snuffing the life out of whoever tries to do me harm. They knew I was not weak and I was not a pray. More than one occasion I had to proof myself, I really did not want their “respect”, I wanted them to fear me, when I was on duty they knew it, that’s why none of them messed with me. But of course you touch one of them killers and you’ll get charged with child abuse, they assault you and they cry he is only a kid, a misunderstood child. There is a reason why the department of corrections doesn’t want anything to do with these inmates. yet OCFS is a department that lacks integrity, morals and ethics, Brookwood administration have the integrity of a snake, the lack of staff training, stipend and experienced staff puts everyone at risk, not having a respond team to deal with cell extractions, the use of OC and the proper use of force put staff at risk, thanks to the bleeding hearts, the tree huggers and a corrupted union that could care less about staff. This behavior will continue, staff will keep on getting assaulted, offenders will keep on getting protection until someone gets killed and than and only than NOTHING will be done. The only time OCFS created an academy for its staff is when an inmate died during a restraint from asphyxiation, the academy is below corrections standards. The administration does not support staff that does their job and act professionally. In case you wonder who I am, my name is Big Joe…enough said

  2. Former YDA says:

    As a former YDA at Brookwood i feel sorry for Mr. Camacho, i knew him, he is a good man. as far the offenders in that facility we should call them what they are, inmates and convicted felons, they are not youth, they are killers, gang bangers, rapist and serial killers lets not kid each others. all the years i worked there, the only think that kept me safe is those convicts knew that i will have no problem snuffing the life out of whoever tries to hurst me or my co-worker. u touch one of them and you get charged with child abuse, they assault you and they cry he is onlt a kid, a missunderstood child. but also they should look into staff like Bob Burn who use to arrange fights and Pat Sulivan who turned a blind eye.

  3. Anonymous says:

    During the three years I worked at Brookwood, there was no accredited school, the teachers were probably not accredited, kids never had homework, the classes were chaotic, and the street fighters and gang members were calling the shots. There was no attempt whatsoever to “rehabilitate”…that’s a joke..and many of the staff members were afraid of the negative leaders, would hardly discipline them and would turn blind eyes to the beatings and sexual assaults the happened constantly on the more passive frightened residents, who got most of the punishment. And then there were the sex parties at Brookwood and Goshen…and so far,no one has been disciplined…what happened to the 15 year old girl who was brought theere to provide sexual services to the boys? Why is Gladys Carrion still in charge? Those sex parties and the rest of the Brookwood mess took place on Andrew Cuomo’s watch when he was state District Attorney…and now that he’s governor and the cat’s out of the bag, he isn’t firing Carrion or others involved in providing a prostitute and a minor to sexually service the boys…three at Goshen were convicted murderers. The kids at Brookwood know what’s happening…they know that they are just being warehoused and that “crime does pay” in these “prep schools for prison.

  4. Same Problems Same Answers says:

    When do we draw the line in the sand? When is the blood on OCFS Commissioner Gladys Carrion’s hands enough?

    She needs to be relieved of duties and replaced with a real Leader. One who believes safety & security for all comes first and is most important.

    Juvenile Justice System needs to be separated from OCFS, you can’t run Facilities with violent juveniles placed in them because they’re young to go to prison the same way you run daycare.

    THE STAFF SERIOUSLY NEED TO DUMPING CSEA AND LOOKING INTO BEING REPRESENTED BY NYSCOPBA!!! The years keep going by, more and more employees keep getting hurt and nothing is ever done about it. CSEA & PEF keep saying and doing the bare minimum not even really addressing it, just a press release here and there. WHEN WILL CHANGE BE DEMANDED BY ALL AND ACTUALLY HAPPEN?

  5. Anonymous says:

    The Brookwood administration created the environment, for Mr. Camacho to be assaulted, how can this be you may ask? The answer plain and simple is POLITICS!!!!!! I also work at Brookwood Secure, 11 years now, there is no accountability at any level in the facility, my opinion? No, FACT. The problematic and disruptive youth, are simply, move to another wing or they hold out refusing to(joke)”PROGRAM” until they get what they want, to be on a wing with their “homies,” so that they have strength in numbers. Three of the 4 youth were on my wing at one time, and I wrote a report, indicating that one of the youth, had wanted to jump me, but didn’t have enough allies, so it did’t happen. Do you think administration did anything, NO, absolutely nothing. Mr Camacho was was nearly KILLED, because the OCFS Boss, Carrion, wants us staff, to cater and say yes to every request from the youth(Sanctuary Model). Since we currently don’t have peace officer status, the assaults on staff are in most cases, not even accepted by the Columbia Co. Sherrif’s Office/NYS Police barracks at Livingston. After the assault, they only thing that administration had to say, was lock the doors. The damn doors were already locked, that had nothing to do with the assault! The general consensus is the linestaff, brutalize the youth on the regular, this isn’t the case in most instances,although does occur at times. What is the balance to maintain some order and compliance, and at the same time, properly restrain youth, when they are assaulting peers or staff. No one has any solutions, except, “this is the risk you take(being assaulted) for choosing this career.” So go ahead, and close more facilities, and save the state money, while, staff are being assaulted and murdered. Oh, they are only kids, let them all out to cause more mayhem!!!!

  6. Anonymous says:

    The Brookwood administration created the environment, for Mr. Camacho to be assaulted, how can this be you may ask? The answer plain and simple is POLITICS!!!!!! I also work at Brookwood Secure, 11 years now, there is no accountability at any level in the facility, my opinion? No, FACT. The problematic and disruptive youth, are simply, move to another wing or they hold out refusing to(joke)”PROGRAM” until they get what they want, to be on a wing with their “homies,” so that they have strength in numbers. Three of the 4 youth were on my wing at one time, and I wrote a report, indicating that one of the youth, had wanted to jump me, but didn’t have enough allies, so it did’t happen. Do you think administration did anything, NO, abhsolutely nothing. Mr Camacho was was nearly KILLED, because the OCFS Boss, Carrion, wants us staff, to cater and say yes to every request from the youth. Since we currently don’t have peace officer status, the assaults on staff are in most cases, not even accepted by the Columbia Co. Sherrif’s Office/NYS Police barracks at Livingston. After the assault, they only thing that administration had to say, was lock the doors. The damn doors were already locked, that had nothing to do with the assault! The general consenus is the linestaff, brutalize the youth on the regular, this isn’t the case in most instances,although does occur at times. What is the balance to maintain some order and compliance, and at the same time, properly restrain youth, when they are assaulting peers or staff. No one has any solutions, except, “this is the risk you take(being assaulted) for choosing this career.” So go ahead, and close more facilities, and save the state money, while, staff are being assaulted and murdered. Oh, they are only kids, let them all out to cause more mayhem!!!!

Comments are closed.