Group: Youth center continues to use dangerous restraint
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine – Maine’s center for youth offenders is continuing to use dangerous tactics to restrain detainees even after being warned about it four years ago, according to Disability Rights Maine.
Experts previously warned the Long Creek Youth Development Center against using prone restraints that can lead to serious injuries or death and goes against how guards are trained, the Bangor Daily News reported.
But in early August, staff restrained youths in a prone position six times in one hour, representing the most alarming example of what was described by Disability Rights Maine as “urgent safety concerns.”
The allegations came four years after an outside firm investigated violence, staffing issues and self-harm at the center.
The corrections department is conducting an internal investigation and takes the concerns seriously, a spokesperson said.