Louisville Youth Detention Center Fails on Basic Services, Report Says
Children in Louisville’s juvenile jail don’t have enough teachers, doctors or mental health professionals, a review of the facility found.
The Center for Children’s Law and Policy conducted a study of conditions at the Louisville Metro Youth Detention Center last fall. The facility houses youths who have been charged with a crime in Louisville and ordered by a judge to be detained while their cases are pending.
The consultants raised questions about whether the detention center’s understaffed school violated federal laws, and said having no qualified mental health professional on staff “jeopardizes the safety of young people with mental illness.” A physician is only on site two mornings a week, and nurses give most of the medical care.
“There is no question that the majority of youth at LMYDS suffer from both extensive psychiatric histories as well as substantial trauma histories,” the report said. “Their behavior on the units can be extremely challenging. Absent adequate numbers of on-site mental health professionals, youth workers are left to figure out how to manage their behavior.”
Read more: https://www.leoweekly.com/2018/01/youth-detention-center-fails-basic-services-report-says/