4 Youth Prisons in New York Used Excessive Force

[joeycola]

Source: nytimes.com



August 25, 2009
4 Youth Prisons in New York Used Excessive Force
By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE

Excessive physical force was routinely used to discipline children at several juvenile prisons in New York, resulting in broken bones, shattered teeth, concussions and dozens of other serious injuries over a period of less than two years, a federal investigation has found.

A report by the United States Department of Justice highlighted abuses at four juvenile residential centers and raised the possibility of a federal takeover of the state’s entire youth prison system if the problems were not quickly addressed.

The report, made public on Monday, came 18 months into a major effort by state officials to overhaul New York’s troubled juvenile prison system, which houses children convicted of criminal acts, from truancy to murder, who are too young to serve in adult jails and prisons.

Investigators found that physical force was often the first response to any act of insubordination by residents, who are all under 16, despite rules allowing force only as a last resort.

“Staff at the facilities routinely used uncontrolled, unsafe applications of force, departing from generally accepted standards,” said the report, which was given to Gov. David A. Paterson on Aug. 14. ...............

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/nyregion/25juvenile.html?ref=todayspaper

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This horrible stuff occurs not just in TX!!

[burrfoot]

1. Sadly,

this happens more often than anyone would like.
IMO (and I've worked in a group home, I know a little about this) it's a trickle down effect of the fact that we- that's we as a society- pay minimum wage to young workers who are made responsible for too many kids at once and work too many hours- overtime, holidays, night shifts, double and triple shifts...
I know it's not the only field in which the staff are overworked and underpaid, but nobody functions well under those circumstances.

When you think about it, though- those children that we've decided are the most 'difficult' are gathered up into large groups in facilities that are, by and large, staffed by kids in their early 20's.
And it's amazing that bad things happen?

Don't get me wrong- there are amazing direct care staff out there. I worked with several and I like to think I did a halfway decent job myself. It's a shame, however, how under supported and under equipped many of them are when we send them onto the floor to work with these kids.

And occasionally, you get an asshole- or a group of them- who get off on being in charge.

There are good workers out there, and there are shitty ones. The good ones, generally, really and truly want to help kids. They show up to work shift after shift, day after day, they stay overtime and they work every weekend and holiday and they still have a little extra time for the kid who really needs it.
The bad ones- well, you give bottom of the barrel compensation; you're gonna get some bottom of the barrel employees.

[PJPhreak]

2. I Am/Was one of those kids,

And I agree that there some amazing people working as Counselors/Staff at places like the N.Y.State Group Home System,(I was in the Long Beach L.I. Group Home) Melville House or the N.Y.State Foster Care System (Tho I have been in REALLY Shitty Foster homes too!)But...

Putting kids in a place like Goshen Annex for ditching school borders on Torture!

I spent over 9 Years in the N.Y.State Juvenile Justice System,My "Crime"? My mom was deemed an unfit parent due to mental illness.

How was I treated during those nine years?

Like a Freakin Criminal!

I did nothing wrong and yet I was put in Solitary (23 Hour a Day) Lockdown for ten days in the Nassau County Childrens Shelter (Don't let the "Nice" name fool ya) Long Islands Primary Kiddy Prison.

Then I was sent to a real "White Trash" Foster Home in Hicksville whose idea of dinner was a can of Ravioli...They spent more time on the race cars than they did with the kids.

Of course I split. The Nassau county Cops found me a few days later...And back for another bout of Lockdown,walking in lines and getting yelled at like I was In the Freakin Marines.

For What? I did Nothing wrong.

Then off to the Group Homes...Fights,Beatings by the other residents,more fights.
The House Parents that hid in their apt in the back of the house.

Supervision of us kids?Hahahahahahahaha, yeah Right!!

Then when that didn't work it was off to a third stint at the NCCS. More lockdown,more feeling like I was at Camp Lejeune.

Remember,I was Fifteen. I was Pissed!

Then I was put in a larger Group home (45 Teen Males) this worked out better...I managed to keep up my grades,stash a few bucks and graduate High School.

Then one day it was over...No warning,just "We are finished with You"

Its called "Aging Out" when a Ward of the Court becomes too old for the Juvenile Justice System.

So what did New York do in its infinite wisdom?

Put me in a rented room in a SRO Hotel (Read that as a true fleabag ) and got me a min, wage job and left me there.

Support System? What Support System?

Just turn a 19 Y.O kid loose in N.Y. with no Training,Life Skills or anywhere to turn to.

Bajeebus,Its amazing that I survived the following twenty years!

[midnight]

3. Wow. You did a amazing job raising yourself. I wish those in

charge of this situation could have been more thoughful. But the fact that places like this are still open for business is discouraging.

[PJPhreak]

4. Thanks!

As corny as this sounds,a lot of credit goes to The Rainbow Family/Grateful Dead and my fellow Deadheads...for showing me a better reality.

[ShamelessHussy]

5. wow

I too grew up in the system (philly) from 5 to 16 when I finally took off... then joined the navy at 18, despite not having a HS diploma.

There is an excellent documentary on 'Aging Out'...
http://www.amazon.com/Aging-Out-Jay-O-Sanders/dp/B000FBFZ1I

I met some good people and bad people along the way, and I salute all those who do what they can to help kids who are on their own.

:hi:

[ThomCat]

6. I am glad you survived it.

I found out too that social safety nets don't work, and all they do is punish the people they're supposed to be helping. They could work, if there were more people, better people, paid better, trained better, given better resources. But it never works that way. So no matter which part of the safety net is supposed to catch you, there's a hole there waiting for you and mean people around it waiting for you.

I hope you have built up some really tough scar tissue over the wounds, and I hope you have a pretty good life despite all the hassles and hell.

[Arrowhead2k1]

7. That truly is a harrowing tale. What a childhood!

Thank you for opening my eyes to this.

[Festivito]

8. Well said. Well lived. Mad at the bumps, glad for the product.

Thanks for writing that. Thanks for turning out so well, I assume well since you're here at DU.

Back in the 70's a friend of mine had a father who beat him, so they put the beaten bloody kid in juvenile hall for criminals. Officials did not know what else to do.

We all have much work to do.

Have to add that I too lived in Hicksville, Long Island, but just for a summer of work at age 16. Not that that means much. Good upon you.

[Heidi]

9. Recommended. (nt)

[madmusic]

10. Stanford Prison Experiment

A Simulation Study of the Psychology of Imprisonment Conducted at Stanford University

Welcome to the Stanford Prison Experiment web site, which features an extensive slide show and information about this classic psychology experiment, including parallels with the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. What happens when you put good people in an evil place? Does humanity win over evil, or does evil triumph? These are some of the questions we posed in this dramatic simulation of prison life conducted in the summer of 1971 at Stanford University.

How we went about testing these questions and what we found may astound you. Our planned two-week investigation into the psychology of prison life had to be ended prematurely after only six days because of what the situation was doing to the college students who participated. In only a few days, our guards became sadistic and our prisoners became depressed and showed signs of extreme stress. Please join me on a slide tour describing this experiment and uncovering what it tells us about the nature of human nature.

http://www.prisonexp.org/

[Solly Mack]

11. k/r