Alarm sparks chaos at youth center

Officials with the Arkansas Division of Youth Services were reviewing procedures and actions at a juvenile treatment center in south Sebastian County on Monday after a youth pulled a fire alarm that sparked fighting and escape attempts over the weekend.

The review was being conducted at the Mansfield Juvenile Treatment Center to determine if staff followed procedures and responded properly after nine youths were arrested Friday night, Arkansas Department of Human Services spokesman Amy Webb said.

Five boys and four girls were taken to the Sebastian County juvenile detention center where they were booked on charges of communicating a false alarm, attempted escape and battery. Sheriff’s Capt. Philip Pevehouse said he believed the arrested youths would be taken before a judge, but he was unsure Monday if the nine were still incarcerated in Fort Smith or were sent back to the Mansfield treatment center.

Webb said she could not comment on the whereabouts of the teens.

The unrest at the camp began about 8:30 p.m. Friday when a girl in one of the dormitories set off a fire alarm, Webb said. According to treatment center policy, the girls evacuated the dorms to assemble on the basketball courts, Webb said.

When the girls went outside, Webb said, two girls tried to escape, with one running toward the boys section of the camp and the other toward a perimeter fence. Webb said the girl was able to climb over the fence, but both were caught immediately by staff.

The commotion caused a fight to break out in the boys section, Webb said. During the fight, two staff members were pushed and hit but were not injured, she said.

The staff at the camp called outside agencies for assistance when the fight started. Pevehouse said officers from the sheriff’s office and the nearby Mansfield Police Department responded. The commotion at the center was quelled quickly, he said.

The Mansfield Juvenile Treatment Center held 20 boys, 17 girls and had 16 staff at the time of the incident, Webb said.

The center, which is about 5 miles south of Mansfield on 236 acres on the edge of the Ouachita National Forest, houses youths who have been adjudicated delinquent, Webb said.

She said the youths pursue their education at the center, receive behavioral health services and have access to recreational opportunities.

The Division of Youth Services website said the center uses some aspects of military dress and discipline to motivate the youths toward education and developing a vocation. They are taught the basics of self-discipline, self-respect and character-building skills.

They also participate in community projects and learn the value of making contributions to the community.