SEATTLE — A Washington agency settled a lawsuit from a coalition of 13 counties after its sudden decision last month to suspend intakes of new offenders.
Lewis County prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said Thursday the Green Hill School in Chehalis will resume intakes of all new inmates at the facility Friday and will pay the Washington counties' attorneys fees as part of the settlement.
The Washington counties sued the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) after the agency said it would not accept new inmates at Green Hill and Echo Glen Children's Center in Snoqualmie. According to the DCYF, the intake freeze at Echo Glen Children's Center was lifted a few weeks ago.
The DCYF said the initial decision to pause intakes was made because of overcrowding and understaffing at the medium to maximum security facilities for male offenders.
After DCYF's decision, an advisory council to Gov. Jay Inslee called on his office to “Immediately remove Ross Hunter as Secretary and leave DCYF under interim leadership.” The Washington State Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice had concerns about inmates’ “due process” being violated and Hunter’s long-term failure to prepare for overcrowding and staffing issues.
The Governor’s office did not respond to the call to remove Hunter, but a spokesperson said the “feeling of shock and confusion is understandable,” given the fast-moving conditions at juvenile rehabilitation facilities. The spokesperson said DCYF took “drastic actions” to protect the safety of young people in the overcrowded facilities.
DCYF suspended juvenile rehabilitation intakes in early July. Then the agency announced on July 13 that 43 residents over the age of 21 were transferred from the Green Hill School to adult prisons, under the supervision of the Washington Department of Corrections. Under state law, juvenile rehabilitation facilities can hold inmates up to the age of 25.
A Thurston County judge ruled on July 26 that the DCYF violated the 43 inmate’s rights to a transfer hearing and ordered them returned to Green Hill School by Aug. 2.
“DCYF has complied with the court order and has begun the intake process at Green Hill School,” a spokesperson said in an email on Aug. 2.
The lawsuit filed by thirteen counties on July 31 included declarations from juvenile court administrators detailing the hardships caused by DCYF’s decision to suspend juvenile rehabilitation intakes.
A Pierce County official wrote that DCYF’s current contract calls for the department to pay $150 per day to hold a juvenile rehabilitation inmate. However, the official wrote the actual cost of housing for inmates at the county-operated Remann Hall is $804.87 per day. The county expects to transfer 50 more youths to state detention by year’s end.