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Massive FAIL

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* The John Howard Association visited the youth correctional facility in St. Charles in May and filed a very troubling report. For instance…

Safety beds are a particularly important and relevant focus for St. Charles. On September 1, 2009, a youth tragically committed suicide in the facility’s special treatment (mental health) unit. Soon after the incident, JHA visited St. Charles and recommended that all beds within the facility be replaced with the safer slab-beds. These beds eliminate the possibility of a youth using the bed as a tie-off point or harming themselves on sharp corners.

Unfortunately, this change has not been made. Although budgetary constraints are severe for DJJ and St. Charles, these beds must be replaced. Only a total of 48 slab-beds have been installed in a facility which currently houses 259 youths. While all of the beds in the special treatment unit were replaced with slab-beds, older, more hazardous beds remain in the rest of the facility. Most disturbingly, the confinement unit in St. Charles has no safety beds whatsoever. This is absolutely unacceptable, particularly because confinement cells double as suicide watch cells.

* The group claims that the picturesque campus is in “desperate need of repair.” At least five buildings are “essentially condemned,” with the roof collapsed on one of them..

The housing units have been repainted on the outside in an effort to make them look nicer; however, they are still in very bad shape on the inside. Throughout the housing units, door frames and window frames are rusted and, in some cases, corners are completely disintegrated. The youths’ rooms are also in need of repair, with rust and general age showing throughout. Almost every area is in need of new paint. Many of the youths complained about problems with heat and air conditioning as well.

During JHA’s visit cleanliness appeared to be an issue in the facility. In the housing units, the showers were particularly dirty, with trash in the drains, mildew covering many areas, no toilet paper, and no switch plate cover for light switches, leaving wiring exposed. In other areas of the facility, trash was piled up in receptacles to the point they were overflowing.

* Oy…

Because the infirmary is unfit for use, youths with medical conditions are kept in the confinement unit.

* And the management seems deathly afraid of offending the unions…

Recently, a number of bicycles were donated to the facility, and it was proposed that youth on Level A status (the best behavioral level) be allowed to ride the bikes on a path surrounding the pond. The decision was made that this was not possible at St. Charles and, therefore, the bikes were sent to IYC-Pere Marquette, a minimum-security facility.

JHA was given several reasons for this, ranging from issues with the union because there was not a union member to do the maintenance on the bikes, to security concerns, to inadequate staffing levels. Regardless, this would have been a wonderful program for the youths. More importantly it could have been used to train youths in bicycle maintenance, creating possible job opportunities upon release. St. Charles and DJJ as a whole cannot afford to turn away donations given the current budget constraints.

More…

Administration also indicated that having youths help with maintenance, painting, or other activities would result in a union grievance being filed. However, administration had not asked the union about these issues recently. Union members have indicated to JHA that the current budget crisis has caused the union to re-evaluate youths’ participation in what were traditionally union jobs.

Good managers work with the unions to get things done. Bad managers let the unions dictate policy.

* Meanwhile…

A major change for Illinois’ youth prisons is on hold. Gov. Pat Quinn last year pushed to merge the Department of Juvenile Justice into another agency, the Department of Children and Family Services. Quinn said it would lead to more treatment for incarcerated youth, though some lawmakers and a public employee union resisted the move. And, like many big ideas, the merger fell by the wayside.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 11:10 am

Comments

and yet we wonder why these kids come out of these places worse than when they entered. A very sad situation that is of no concern to most folks.

Comment by central illinois Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 11:19 am
Interesting story I bet Lisa madigan is busy with a photo op at a nursing home.

Comment by Fed up Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 11:22 am
I wonder when JBilla will chime in with another post about decriminilzation and the 3 wars using up all available gov’t funds.

As kids we were repeatedly threatened with being sent to this place if we messed up. Seems like no maintenance/repair has been done there since the ’70’s. Sheesh.

Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 11:27 am
So let me get this straight — DJJ is being run for the benefit of the employee unions, and we pick kids up off the street and incarcerate them so the facility staff won’t be bored?

Comment by infuriated Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 11:43 am
I guess I don’t understand why a tect could not supervise the kids therefore not taking place of union but supplementing the member’s role. What’s the difference in letting the kids do some of the routine small stuff under supervision than having say typical limited task summer staff supplementing regular staff in other agencies.

Comment by Cindy Lou Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 11:58 am
Unfuriated - same mind set for keeping people with developmental disabilities locked up in state institutions. Illinois does not want to disrupt the lives of union employees.

Comment by had enough Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 12:03 pm
“Bad managers let the unions dictate policy.”

If this is what is happening to kids for whom the public has some sympathy, imagine how this works in adult prisons. Same scam.

Comment by tired of press Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 12:12 pm
This reads like the usual union scapegoating…’We can’t do it because the union will file a grievance.’ Did you ask? ‘ummmm, well, no…(but you gotta admit its easier to blame union rules than actually do anything..)’

Comment by Happy Returns Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 12:21 pm
The unions run the state and shall continue to do so - period

Comment by Commander Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 12:22 pm
“Good managers work with the unions to get things done. Bad managers let the unions dictate policy”

Really? In Democrat controlled Illinois? What “manager”, who is probably in a union him/herself, would cross the politically powerful public employee unions?

Um, a stupid manager, not a “good” manager—at least if he wanted to keep his job.

Comment by qcexaminer Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 12:51 pm
qcexaminer, you’re far too melodramatic. Take a breath, man.

Drama queens aren’t really loved here.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 12:53 pm
Perhaps Sean Penn can play a warden at the same prison where he served as an inmate and show the awful conditions.

Comment by tubbfan Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 1:02 pm
sounds like the movie brubaker. The reform of the actual conditions of prisons (as opposed to who comes in and leaves)has been an issue I’ve seen go in out of places like this and the new york times but doesn’t seem to ever get front page attention.

Comment by Shore Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 1:02 pm
If I was a union boss, instead of immediately going the grievance route, I would look at how I could partner with the system to have my union guys run vocational training in the juvenile prison, to aim these kids at a job in the trades when they get out. They could fast-track into journeyman status and be dues-paying members with a place to go to work when they get done serving time. Some of that trade training could be applied to repair and maintenance of that very old St. Chuck campus.

What was I thinking: the correction system is only meant to be a human warehouse to keep criminals away from taxpayers. Sorry for the momentary lapse of reason.

Seriously though; the people running DOC have been in a bunker mentality for so long, beat down and underfunded so long, I think they have forgotten how to try to look at problems as opportunities. For so long, initiative and innovation was stifled or outright punished all over DOC, it’s not a surprise that the first reaction to the free bikes would be: “we can’t handle that”.

Comment by Newsclown Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 1:13 pm
This doesn’t happen over night. The conditions of the prisons have been deteriorating badly for years just like other state infrastructure like mental health centers, and yes, universities, parks, and places like the fairgrounds and historic sites. All that deterioration is not the union’s fault, but poses unique challenges to work around for both the union employees and the wardens. Clearly the blame arrow should point at fiscal mismanagement of the state for the last many years.

Comment by in absentia Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 1:32 pm
“Good managers work with the unions to get things done. Bad managers let the unions dictate policy.”

From the sounds of things, worse managers use the unions as an excuse for not doing anything at all, including things the union would do if someone, you know, asked them.

Comment by jerry 101 Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 1:33 pm
Wait are there any managers left there? I mean aren’t they all in the union already? If the unions want to play such a large role in
policy making (or preventing changes) they should be helping come up with solutions to these problems.

Comment by Hmmm Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 1:36 pm
@jerry -

Good one.

You think the union members would be happy to paint, replace bad windows? Me too.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 2:01 pm
Don’t call me “man”, man.

Comment by qcexaminer Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 2:35 pm
lol

So, drama queen is OK then?

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 2:37 pm
Guess I’m reallt confused now…’Painter’ job description in JJ states ‘may instruct or supervise inmates or helpers’. Reads to me that would leave room for Mr/Ms Painter to instruct and supervise painting bicycles.

Comment by Cindy Lou Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 3:17 pm
They don’t have money to appropriate for fixing buildings across the state. If you were able to see what it takes to get money from year to year, you would be amazed how little we get to fix and repair what really needs done. You can’t blame the union for things in need of repair. The maintenance dept’s do the best they can to rig things up so things stay working until hopefully CDB releases money to truly fix whatever is broken.
And “had enough”, give me a break. Those with developmental disabilities have a choice. Many guardians don’t want their children living in the community, where the pay is low, the turnover is high and the staff don’t have much if any supervision. Just because ARC says everyone with DD needs to live in the community doesn’t mean that they can.
Oy! Illinois is such a broken state, and has been for years. Their idea of fixing things is to slap a coat of paint on and call it done.

Comment by Wickedred Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 3:39 pm
lol indeed.

Is it “man” or “queen”?

Take a breath, man.

Comment by qcexaminer Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 3:42 pm
I had some friends who went to Charleytown in the 70s. Doesn’t sound like things have changed much.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 4:55 pm
–”You can’t blame the union for things in need of repair. The maintenance dept’s do the best they can to rig things up so things stay working”–

Wickedred, it seems you live out in ‘my world’.

Comment by Cindy Lou Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 5:29 pm
Wickedred - There essentially was no capital funding under Blagojevich - except for some that was cobbled together from unused appropriations. The FY10 Capital program has been slow to roll out, due to the funding questions and cash flow. Legislators have also focused on funding for schools, child care centers, mental health community centers and grants for member districts rather than state facilities. State facilities are to receive a very small portion of the FY10 capital appropriations.
CDB administers the state’s capital projects; GOMB releases the appropriations. If money is appropriated and released, CDB is trying to design and construct those projects. With the new CPO/SPO and PPB that has become increasingly difficult.

Comment by In the Sticks Thursday, Jul 14, 11 @ 6:41 pm