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Monday, October 17, 2005
Ind. Gov't. - 2nd of 3-part series on juvenile facility problems
The second of a three-part series in the South Bend Tribune, by Nancy J. Sulok, on the problems the Department of Justice has found in Indiana's juvenile prisons appears today. Some quotes:
SOUTH BEND -- H. David Donahue, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Correction, has released a summary of corrective actions being taken at three facilities that house juvenile inmates. * * *Check here for Part 1.The issues in the DOJ's recently released report are similar for South Bend and Plainfield. Among them are:
Inadequate protection. "We find that South Bend fails to adequately protect the juveniles in its care from harm,'' the report says. "We find that the conditions at South Bend violate even the more stringent Eighth Amendment standard.'' (The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the use of cruel and unusual punishment.) * * *
Youth violence. Juveniles have a right, the report notes, to be reasonably safe from harm inflicted by other juveniles in the facility. The report listed specific incidents of assaults that had occurred in the late winter and early spring of 2004. * * *
Insufficient grievances procedures. "The dysfunctional grievance system at South Bend contributes to the state's failure to ensure a reasonably safe environment,'' the report says. Although the DOJ team found some encouraging aspects of the grievance procedures, it nevertheless found the grievance system to be inadequate.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 17, 2005 12:07 PM
Posted to Indiana Decisions