Just weeks after scathing reports about the abysmal failure of the Close to Home juvenile “reform” program diverting youthful offenders from state juvenile justice facilities to inadequate New York City based programs, the Cuomo administration is doubling down on bad policy and moving to close two more centers. Earlier this month Queens Family Court Judge [...]
Continue reading about NY. Cuomo administration doubling down on bad juvenile justice decision
Violent Groups Of Teens Leave NYC Businesses In Ruins After OCFS/ACS Agree to Release Youth Closer to Home Violent, thieving mobs have hit New York City. This is happening the same time OCFS is downsizing their facilities, and shipping NYC youth closer to home. In 2001 there were 2,229 youth admitted to 19 juvenile facilities [...]
Continue reading about NY. Flash Mob Mayhem: Youth-Thugs Causing Chaos In NYC
The number of assaults on staff has increased by more than 500 percent in just five years, from 52 in 2007 to 280 in 2012. Serious injuries sustained by staff members doubled between 2007 ad 2010. Source: NYS Commission of Correction, records through Dec. 14, 2012. Leave it to New York to prove itself seemingly [...]
Continue reading about NY. Violence continues to plague OCFS’ juvenile detention centers
Violence is on the rise in New York’s juvenile detention centers. The statistics and costs to staff and resident’s health and safety and to taxpayers are astounding. Records show that violent incidents have increased more than fivefold over the past five years. In 2007, 52 assaults were documented in the state’s four secure centers; the number [...]
Four inmates at the Brookwood Secure Facility allegedly attackeda staff member, one of four such facilities in the state under investigation for regular attacks on staff. The attack occurred on Friday night during movie time when Luis Camacho, a youth division aide officer, was attacked from behind, knocked to the ground and repeatedly pummeled with chairs, [...]
Continue reading about NY. OCFS Juvenile Officers have 2nd highest on-the-job injury rates
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 [...]
Continue reading about NY. OCFS juvenile facilities are dangerous. Aide Brutally Beaten by Youths
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 [...]