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Breaking News from America's Progressive Community... Latest Releases
The press releases posted here have been provided to NewsCenter by the one of the many progressive organizations we have selected to participate. If you would like more information about this press release, you should contact the organization directly. |
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| NOVEMBER 25, 1998 12:10 PM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Amnesty International |
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| Maine Youth Center Report Leaves Children's Voices Still Unheard | ||||
| WASHINGTON - November 25 - The American Correctional Association
(ACA) recently completed review of Maine Youth Center's treatment of children in its care
leaves much to be desired, Amnesty International said today. The organization added that, on the basis of its research into the Center, the review is deficient in two crucial respects. First, it was confined to an examination of the use of restraints and solitary confinement and was therefore unable to look in detail at other issues -- such as the adequacy of services for children with mental health problems -- some of which are directly related to the high incidence of the use of restraints and solitary confinement by the Center. Secondly, the report does not provide a thorough, detailed account of the matters the review was commissioned to examine and does not give details of the methodology of the review, which conducted in only three days. "The report hints at recent violations of residents' rights, but it fails to bring them out into the open, or to condemn them. Where are the searching questions about reports of a child isolated for over a year, or the use of a 'restraint chair' for up to 17 hours at a time?", the organization continued. "Where are the voices of the children themselves and their thoughts on how they have been treated?" Although the ACA consultant who conducted the review says that he spoke to some children, their views are mentioned only once in passing and no reference is made to their view of how they are treated. "This review falls well short of the kind of inquiry that is needed to deal with the various concerns about the Center we and others have been voicing for some time," Amnesty International said. "We therefore continue to urge the Governor to initiate a comprehensive and thorough inquiry into all aspects of the operations of the Maine Youth Center." Outline of Amnesty International's concerns on the ACA review: Amnesty International and others have expressed concern about the use of solitary confinement at the Center. The ACA report contains only a single, short paragraph with no information at all about the practices of the Center. The report says that children "may" be housed in the isolation unit for several hours to several days, but does not specify for how long children have actually been kept in solitary confinement and does not even mention the youth who was reportedly confined for longer than a year. Amnesty International's request for information about the use of solitary confinement -- addressed in August to Corrections Commissioner Magnusson -- is still unanswered. The ACA report states that the Center's policies and procedures on the use of isolation "appear adequate", implying that they are consistent with ACA standards. But there is no evidence they were applied in practice. For example, ACA standards require that there should be disciplinary hearings for children alleged to have violated rules, and that children in solitary confinement should have access to programs such as education. Amnesty International has received information from various sources that the Center did not comply with these requirements. The ACA review was requested to examine what happens in practice but the report does not explicitly deal with the current situation. However, a paragraph in the report calls for a hearing process for appeals and grievances that "should clearly give consideration to all sides of the story" and that uses hearing officers "who have earned the respect of staff and youth, and perceived as being fair (sic)." This looks like a diplomatically couched critique of the deficiencies of current practices, but the subject has not been discussed in detail nor dealt with in an express recommendation. Although it was asked to examine the use of all forms of restraint, the ACA refers only to the use of the restraint chair. Other practices -- such as the plastic straps that a number of children have complained were applied so tightly that their hands became discoloured and numb-- have been ignored. With respect to the use of the restraint chair, the report states that "in some cases" it appears to have been used inappropriately. The report, however, does not mention the serious concerns raised in March 1998 by the Maine Youth Center Advocate, Eve Richardson, which included residents being "often" kept in the chair for lengthy periods despite being calm and compliant, in breach of Maine and ACA standards. The many instances documented by Ms Richardson -- such as one youth held in the chair for 17 hours -- are difficult to reconcile with the ACA consultant's conclusion that the Center's use of the restraint chair is "humane". The ACA consultant notes that the facility's Board of Visitors "seem to have become increasingly active as adverse publicity surrounding the facility has surfaced and continued." He suggests that members should be appointed for four years rather than the current one year term, but does not examine whether the Board's duties, powers and resources are adequate to enable it to be a truly effective and independent watchdog. He also suggests that facilities like the Maine Youth Center should have a staff- resident ratio of 1:8 to 1:12, in contrast to the current ratio of 1:40. He notes that implementation of current plans will reduce the number of residents at the Center and urges "strong consideration" of the employment of more unit supervisors, without making a specific recommendation about appropriate staffing ratios. Instead, he endorses implementation of the current "master plan". However, this will not achieve the desired staffing ratio and after the report was released the Superintendent of the Center has reportedly ruled out the employment of more staff. Finally, the consultant suggests that a plan should be developed to provide for an individualized assessment of every student upon admission, and that this should be regularly reviewed and adjusted, but makes no recommendation to incorporate this important proposal. ### |
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