New York City’s juvenile detention centers, already under scrutiny for mismanaging an influx of older, more violent teens, are facing continued criticism for failing to adequately address violence and misconduct within their walls. According to a report released by the Department of Investigation (DOI), the shift of 16- and 17-year-olds into juvenile facilities under the “Raise the Age” law has led to overcrowded conditions and more frequent incidents of violence. The problem is exacerbated, the report suggests, by the 2019 bail reforms that keep those accused of serious crimes in housing originally meant for less dangerous populations.
In an attempt to protect teens from the rigors and dangers of adult incarceration, the law has had the unintended side effect of overcrowding facilities like the Horizon Juvenile Center in the Bronx and the Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn. Sources told,The Post, that the city’s two juvenile holding facilities are now bursting at the seams. Moreover, the DOI found that a behavioral management system, designed as an incentive for good behavior among the youth, was ineffective at curbing violence and contraband within these centers.
“These challenging circumstances call for ACS to strengthen its behavioral management tools to better track and respond to violent and criminal conduct by residents in order to protect both residents and staff,” said DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber in a statement obtained byThe City. The report paints a stark picture where overworked staff face physically daunting shifts, compromising not only their welfare, but also that of the juveniles in these centers.
Despite the bleak outlook from the DOI report, the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) was cited as making significant progress in terms of safety and operational improvements by a federal monitor. Stephanie Gendell, a spokesperson for ACS, pointed to a federal monitor report, indicating reduced violence and better educational outcomes for youths in detention. Nevertheless, the numbers relayed a different story, “We are arresting juveniles at the highest level than we have ever seen before,” NYPD Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael Lipetri toldThe Post.
Amid these concerns, there remains a strong thread of discourse surrounding the impact of juvenile justice reforms on public safety and the well-being of the young people they originally aimed to protect. Advocates argue that the decline in the application of bail reforms, combined with funding shortages, have undercut the potential success of these changes. Still, the stark increase in serious crimes among youths, some as young as 11, paints a picture of juvenile detention centers struggling to adapt to a new demographic of detainee younger, but charged with increasingly violent offenses.
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