Green Hill School. (Department of Children Youth and Families)
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has directed the Department of Corrections to send staff to Green Hill School in Chehalis as the juvenile detention facility faces safety issues resulting from overcrowding.
The Department of Children, Youth and Families announced Inslee’s directive on Aug. 13. It followed the agency’s July 8 decision to suspend intakes at its two juvenile detention centers, leaving convicted youth in county jails. That decision was overturned in an agreement between Washington’s counties and the state agency on Aug. 9 after the counties sued.
“We cannot focus on rehabilitation without first ensuring safety,” said the agency’s director, Ross Hunter. “Additional staffing and collaboration benefit young people and staff, by supporting our ongoing security efforts and helping us resume programs and treatment for young people at GHS.”
Hunter faced calls to step down from state lawmakers and Washington’s juvenile justice advisory council amid the issues at Green Hill. In an interview with FOX 13 , he shifted blame to other entities for “failing to accurately predict” the number of youth that would be sent to his agency’s facilities, but admitted that he failed to warn counties of his subsequent moves.