Freedom

Youth Prison System Under Pressure

NEW YORK -- Three years after a 15-year-old boy died in restraints, the youth prison where he was pinned to the floor is set to be closed. The shuttering of Tryon Boys Residential Center is due to budget gaps that plague states across the USA — but also is a sign of the intense pressure on New York to improve its deeply troubled juvenile detention system. In August, a U.S. Department of Justice investigation found that the state uses excessive force on youths in custody; the federal agency says it will sue the state if changes are not made. In December, a state-appointed task force said use of force and lack of mental health care are acute problems for the 1,600 children held in New York's juvenile facilities each year. Two weeks later, the Legal Aid Society sued the state agency, the Office of Children and Family Services (OFCS), on behalf of youths in custody.
Click Here For The Full Story......

Posted by Editor at February 3, 2010 02:49 AM