Public Employee Press

Management negligence at Dept. of Juvenile Justice
Members at risk

By JANE LaTOUR

The youthful offender facilities of the Dept. of Juvenile Justice have hopeful names. “Bridges” became the new name for the Spofford facility after it earned a bad reputation. The Horizon and Crossroads centers were later additions to reduce overcrowding. But despite optimistic names, both the clients and the staff are locked inside a dangerous and morale-busting system.

DC 37 Safety and Health Director Lee Clarke testified Dec. 4 at a City Council hearing on workplace violence. The DJJ facilities are prominent among the worksites where assaults occur on a regular basis, she said.

But DJJ has yet to develop a plan to address workplace violence at the three secured facilities in spite of the number of assaults and altercations involving the staff. And even after an assault, the agency has no policies in place to deal with the aftermath.

“A DJJ worker is struck on the head by a stack of chairs,” said Clarke. “He is knocked unconscious, suffering a severe concussion. He receives no medical attention and is not relieved from his post. When these and many other similar incidents are brought to the attention of the New York State Board of Public Employee Safety and Health, PESH responds that there is nothing they can do, as there is no workplace violence standard.” This is just one example of many.

Another critical problem facing the Juvenile Counselors, members of Local 1457, is the lack of a policy to deal with bloodborne pathogens. When bloody altercations occur, nothing beyond a “spill kit” for small incidents is available for the staff. But this is grossly inadequate, said Local 1457 Vice President Darek Robinson. “If there are no policies or precautions in place, the employees are all at risk of exposure” to bloodborne diseases such as HIV and AIDS.

Prevention not a priority
Additional problems include the inadequate or missing fire prevention and emergency action plans. Through its negligence, the agency is failing to provide a place of employment free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm. As Local 1457 President Alex Parker pointed out, without policies in place, the employees are pretty much left to their own devices.

Recently, the agency has implemented a new “Juvenile Resident Violence Intervention and Prevention program.” It is directed towards youth involved in assaults and altercations. But according to eight-year veteran worker Angel Pastrana, the program is inadequate for dealing with the level of aggression at the facilities. “There is a lot of gang activity that management ignores,” explained Parker.

“Management puts the emphasis on the wrong areas, as opposed to safety and health,” said Robinson. “Just last week, they sent our members and kids outside for an hour in 33-degree weather.” At DJJ, staff and clients are bound together inside a dysfunctional and dangerous system that is putting their health at risk.