Editorial: End abuse at center for youths

Thursday, Jan. 30, 2003 | 9:14 a.m.

The state has fired two staff members at the Nevada Youth Training Center in Elko, but much more needs to be done in light of a federal report citing physical and verbal abuse at the facility holding 160 delinquent boys aged 12 to 18. Last February the U.S. Justice Department investigated conditions at the center and filed a report with the state in November. The report came to light Tuesday during a meeting of state legislative committees. Details of the report make for disturbing reading and cry out for reforms in the hiring and training of staff, as well as for changes in the way staff and the facility's operations are monitored.

The federal agency found that the pattern of excessive force occurred when boys were thought to be disrespectful of staff or in cases where they disobeyed orders. The report said the boys were known to have been punched and kicked, thrown to the floor, shoved against lockers and walls, and to have had their heads smashed into doors. Additionally, the report said boys were subjected to verbal abuse "in which their race, family, physical appearance and stature, intelligence or perceived sexual orientation were aggressively attacked."

It's unfortunate that it took nearly a year for this report to be made public. But now that the incidents have been exposed, the state should issue a report of its own, detailing precisely what has been done in the way of reforms and what must be done to ensure such conduct is not repeated. A delegation from the Legislature will inspect a juvenile facility in Caliente, to check on conditions there. But legislators also must delve into how such behavior could ever have taken hold in a state facility. They should examine whether one staff member for every 15 youths is sufficient, particularly when this means the ratio at night can drop to one staff person for every 30 youths. They should also look at training and salaries, as they have a lot to do with assembling qualified staff. No time should be wasted in acting upon their findings.