Audit: High turnover at youth prisons risks safety

BATON ROUGE, La.—High employee turnover has made it difficult for the Office of Juvenile Justice to properly monitor Louisiana’s youth prisons, according to a new audit raising safety concerns about the lock-up facilities.

The review by Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera’s office, released Monday, says turnover in the youth prisons—known as secure care facilities—has steadily increased since the 2012-13 financial year. Auditors say that makes it difficult for the Office of Juvenile Justice to maintain legally required staffing ratios, and they warned that research shows a constant churn of staff can destabilize the facilities, worsening violence.

“Appropriate staffing is necessary to ensure proper supervision and a safe environment,” auditors wrote.

The Bridge City facility in southeast Louisiana has a turnover rate that tops 62 percent, while turnover at the Swanson Center for Youth in Monroe has reached 30 percent.

The audit found fighting is on the rise, along with the use of physical restraints of youth, and the prison facilities aren’t always made to correct safety-related issues identified in monitoring. The use of room confinement as a punishment is on the rise at the Bridge City Center for Youth, even though that goes against identified best practices, auditors wrote.