WA's agency overwhelmed by juvenile inmates

Washington's DCYF at capacity, flooded with juveniles

Washington state is running out of space to send children, teens and young adults convicted of crimes.

SEATTLE - Washington state is running out of space to send children, teens and young adults convicted of crimes.

Last week, the state took drastic measures, announcing that its two juvenile detention centers were over-capacity, notifying counties and court administrators that it was suspending all intakes at Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) facilities.

While the sheer size of the population at Green Hill and Echo Glen, DCYF's facilities for juvenile inmates, is the major concern. The number of inmates was adding to concerns as attacks between residents and on staff had become a growing concern.

Over the past several months, an average of six to eight juveniles were entering DCYF detention centers per week, while only two to four were exiting.

With the legislative session roughly six months away, it's unclear whether changes made at an administrative level can create the type of changes needed.

Green Hill, a facility that specializes in housing teens and young adults, had 237 individuals within its facility as of July 8. The goal is to bring that number down to 180 before the suspension of intakes is lifted.

In the meantime, the onus is being placed on counties. A spokesperson for DCYF said that one county court administrator said they're now working with neighboring counties because they don't have the facilities required for juvenile offenders.

"There has been a question: ‘What happens if county systems become full, and then what do we do?’ I hope we don't get to that point," said DCYF public affairs director Allison Krutsinger. "I hope there are other solutions that come online in advance, but that's a real question a valid question, and we want to be a partner in solving that if it does come to fruition."

As previously reported, the climbing population at Green Hill has been a concern of DCYF for some time. However, the speed at which they reached capacity seemed to shock those within the department.

Others, including the Washington Association of Sheriff's and Police Chiefs (WASPC), have been critical of the sudden suspension calling it an issue of the state’s own making.

"The state's overcrowding problem in Juvenile Rehabilitation Centers has been known for some time, and not taking responsibility for the housing of offenders places the public at further risk," a statement from the WASPC read.

The group floated the idea of transferring all juvenile inmates between 18- and 25-years-old to Department of Corrections facilities, a reversal of the legislature's 2019 "JR to 25" move which cleared a path for young offenders that committed crimes as children to remain in juvenile facilities until age 25.

DCYF does have a third facility located in Pacific County along the Washington coast, Naselle Youth Camp. However, it was closed in 2022.

According to DCYF, the remote location caused issues for years attracting staff – and made it difficult for families to stay connected with inmates, which could cause issues for rehabilitative work.

At this time, reopening the Naselle Youth Camp does not appear to be a solution DCYF considers viable.

Asked whether DCYF has reached out to Gov. Inslee's office to explore a special legislative session, Krutsinger told FOX 13 News that it was contemplated, but at this point it has not been an option.

Gov. Inslee's office has not yet responded to questions about whether he views the current situation as worthy of a special session.

It's unclear what the financial impact will be of the situation as it unfolds. DCYF is now paying counties that are forced to house residents that would typically land in DCYF facilities that have nowhere else to go.

In the future, it's clear that DCYF will look toward smaller footprint facilities that can flex between medium and minimum security — though, details of what their asks for funding will be at a legislative level is still unfolding.

Krutsinger said they're grateful to those who've been working through the situation as it may have appeared sudden to those impacted, while also praising the staff that are dealing with the fallout of the issues.

"It is not an easy moment to be an employee in our facilities right now," said Krutsinger. "I want to acknowledge those who are showing up every day and doing this work. It's tough, it's tough in the agency right now."