Editorial: Juvenile detention needs more staffing

Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2000 | 9:48 a.m.

It is disturbing that an internal audit has shown that the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center has been dramatically understaffed for a three-year period, from July 1996 through July 1999, which meant staffing didn't meet standards to maximize safety and security. The audit noted that respected juvenile authorities recommend staff-to-youth ratios of anywhere from 1:4 to 1:8, but the ratio at the detention center can be as high as 1:10 or 1:12 at various times. In one of the most telling statistics from the audit, it was mentioned that the number of youths who stayed at the detention center each day had jumped from 99 to 191 in the previous decade, yet staffing hadn't kept pace -- going from 53 employees to just 56.

In addition, the detention center's heavy reliance on juvenile detention assistants, who don't have the same training as probation officers, also creates problems. The audit mentioned that not only are these employees more likely to be overwhelmed or harmed by youths, they also may sometimes needlessly use excessive force to resolve an out-of-control situation. If the latter happens, the audit notes that this could result in costly litigation against the county.

The Family and Youth Services Department, which oversees the detention center, responded that it already has hired 66 additional employees since the audit was finished and that more training is under way to meet standards. It is critical that the County Commission closely monitor this situation and provide enough funding and staffing to effectively operate the detention center, which is expected to more than double in size in January when it will have 232 beds. The bottom line is that there is no excuse to allow unsafe conditions to exist.