PEF Cautions: Youth Facility Closures, Risk to All

ALBANY, NY (06/08/2011)(readMedia)-- The state Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) has announced a plan to close several, mostly upstate, juvenile facilties to cut costs, but with no apparent plan to address the needs of New York's troubled youths.

OCFS Commissioner Gladys Carrion has systematically emptied state juvenile facilities for the past several years, going as far as meeting with family court judges and urging them not to send youths to state facilities.

"The public should be aware more than half of the youths in state juvenile facilities have special education needs and 67 percent have serious mental health needs," said PEF President Ken Brynien.

"This plan to close facilities might save tax dollars, but it does nothing to address concerns for public safety or for the services needed for these troubled youths," Brynien said.

OCFS has announced plans to close or downsize eight facilities: Tryon Girls Center, Fulton County, Youth Leadership Academy, Delaware County, Allen Residential Center, Delaware County, Finger Lakes Residential Center, Tompkins County, Harriet Tubman Residential Center, Cayuga County, Highland Residential Center, Ulster County, Industry Limited Secure Center, Monroe County and Industry Secure Center, Monroe County.

"Commissioner Carrion's policies have failed," Brynien said. "She has single-handedly created an environment in which troubled youths who have committed serious crimes have the upper hand.

"Our members have been assaulted by youths on a regular basis. Instead of focusing on closing facilities, Carrion should be working toward implementing changes to a failed system and committing the mental health and educational services these youths need to turn their lives around," he said.

PEF represents the professional staff at OCFS facilities, including nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, youth counselors and teachers.

PEF is the state's second-largest, state-employee union, representing 56,000 professional, scientific and technical employees.

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