HomeMy WebLinkAbout090624 - Update on State Juvenile Rehabilitation FacilitiesALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Update on State Juvenile Rehabilitation Facilities Intakes
Dear WSAC Members,
WSAC Policy Staff met with DCYF leadership yesterday afternoon to discuss the ongoing issues with the state’s Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) facilities. This email provides an update.
DCYF continues to manage the high populations at their JR facilities as an emergency, especially at Green Hill. As of yesterday, the population at Green Hill was 224, with the majority
of the population over 20 years of age. So far, they continue to see more intakes each month than exits. The facility is designed for an operational maximum population of 180.
Department of Corrections (DOC) staff are on the campus at Green Hill. DOC is assisting with population management.
DCYF leadership continues to work with the Governor’s office and the Attorney General regarding the legal landscape of this situation and what they have the authority to do. They are
actively looking for additional facilities with a strategy to lease, staff, and operate them. They don’t believe they can contract for services with a county. If your county has a facility
you might be interested in leasing to DCYF, please contact us, and we will put you in touch with the right contacts.
DCYF's long-term strategy to improve population management includes increasing its facility capacity. That is not likely to include expanding the existing facilities. Instead, they want
to site more medium-security, smaller facilities (16-20 beds) in communities. DCYF will likely look to the legislative session for additional resources to acquire such facilities as
part of its long-term strategy.
We were also told that DCYF will have a policy request during the upcoming session. They have agreed to include us in developing those policy requests once they have narrowed down potential
proposals.
Finally, DCYF leadership also apologized for the lack of outreach and communication that precluded the recent intake freeze and WSAC’s lawsuit. They acknowledged the partnership between
the counties and the state on this issue and pledged to work harder to collaborate in the future. They also continued to assure us that releasing juveniles from the facilities back
into communities is not being considered as a strategy to address their current population management concerns.
Please let us know if you have any questions or would like further information. Thanks for everything you do for your counties! Have a great weekend.
--
Paul Jewell | Government Relations Director
Washington State Association of Counties | wsac.org
pjewell@wsac.org <mailto:pjewell@wsac.org> | 360.489.3024
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