WASHINGTON, USA — The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families announced it transferred 43 young men with adult sentences from a juvenile facility to the Department of Corrections.
Just one week before the announcement, the department announced it was suspending intake at two juvenile facilities, the Green Hill School and the Echo Glen Children's Center, due to overcrowding and safety concerns.
According to DCYF, Green Hill was 30% above its capacity and Echo Glen was housing 236 people, when its capacity was 180.
“This decision was not made lightly, but the security risks related to overcrowded facilities have made our current situation untenable,” DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter wrote in a press release. “We have to prioritize the safety of young people and staff, and that it is safer for everyone when we have capacity levels that promote rehabilitation.”
According to the DCYF, all the young men who were transferred were over the age of 21 and based on their sentences, would have been transferred when they turned 25.
However, a letter written by the Superior Court Judges' Association in response to Hunter claims the problem of overcrowding, while acute, was preventable and didn't happen overnight.
According to the letter, changes in state law that expand juvenile services have been in place since 2018 and in that time, the department closed a juvenile facility that held men ages 16 to 25. The SCJA claimed this contributed to the overcrowding, which led to multiple safety issues at Echo Glen and Green Hill School.
The letter also claimed the move violates the department's statutory obligation.
"The Department's pronouncement is completely at odds with its legal obligations and this decision places an undue burden on counties with limited resources for these young people," the letter reads.
Under state law, these inmates should stay in a juvenile facility until they turn 25.
The Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs said it appreciates the action taken by DCYF but "encourages the state to find constructive solutions as soon as possible."
According to DCYF, the department is actively looking to open a small, medium-security facility for young people, but there is no set opening date.
