Superintendent Harold Wright Jr. knows Green Hill School needs to keep its numbers down.
According to the Washington state Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), the state juvenile rehabilitation facility in Chehalis has a safe operational capacity of 180.
Last year, the incarcerated population ballooned to 227.
It was worse in 2024. That summer, the population hit 240.
As he guided the group of Chronicle reporters and DCYF staff through a tour of the medium-to-maximum facility last month, Wright gestured across the empty yard to show the fences erected as a way to curb the large outbreaks of violence.
The consequences of overcrowding have been well documented by The Chronicle and many other regional and state news outlets.
In 2024, 43 men were transferred from Green Hill to an adult prison due to the escalating situation. They were later sent back to the facility on a judge’s order.
In August 2025, the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division I, concluded the DCYF-run facility violated state law after reviewing a consolidated case from two petitioners claiming they had to urinate in plastic jugs inside their cells.
The lack of wet cells — that is, cells with toilets — exacerbated the issue.
At the same time, state lawmakers across the political spectrum have discussed, debated and introduced legislation to address the problem. Nothing has come close to the governor’s desk.
State Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, has long criticized the state’s “JR-25” policy as being a primary contributor to the overcrowding at Green Hill.
The laws that govern the policy, passed in 2018 and 2019, allow juvenile offenders to be incarcerated at juvenile facilities until they turn 25, at which point they are transferred to Department of Corrections custody.
Braun sponsored a bill that would have stopped placing individuals over 21 in DCYF institutions that were at or above 105% of their rated bed capacity — so long as those individuals were convicted in adult court and had an earned release date after the age of 26.
The bill passed in the state Senate last year, but failed to reach a floor vote in the House. This year, the bill remained with the Senate Rules Committee.
Wright cited other contributing factors, such as an increase in sentencing lengths compounded with an influx of sentences following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Prison Policy Initiative, a non-partisan nonprofit focused on criminal justice reform and over-criminalization, reported that the state of Washington’s prison population increased nearly 6% from 2021 to 2023, following a drop in population during the pandemic.
DCYF, along with Wright, acknowledge that an overcrowded facility inevitably leads to more violence, both among incarcerated individuals and between incarcerated individuals and staff.
On the day of the Chronicle’s tour, Feb. 17, Wright said the population was at 197 — much lower than the peaks of 2024, but still 17 over the 180-person operational capacity.
He said the ideal number is more in the 150-to-170 range.
Not just about numbers
DCYF has taken other steps to improve longstanding issues at the facility, such as implementing an enhanced screening policy to limit contraband entering the grounds.
Chronicle reporters had to remove their shoes, belts and other items before walking through a millimeter wave scanner. All electronic devices were prohibited, with the special exception of cameras.
Staff are also required to adhere to a dress code policy that went into effect last November, according to the agency. Security staff must follow their own unique uniform policy.
DCYF has made philosophical changes, too, such as how it manages behavior.
A new three-tiered approach breaks violations down into levels — serious, general and low-level — that necessitate specific responses.
For example, serious violations consist of assault, fighting, sexual abuse, weapon possession and escapes. These violations require hearings that may result in loss of privileges, changes in classification or referral to law enforcement.
Hearings include the young person involved, staff privy to the situation, a hearing officer, case managers, and relevant mental health and security staff.
General violations — such as making violent threats or stealing — might be met with what DCYF deems as more restorative or therapeutic interventions, along with necessary safety and security measures.
According to DCYF, staff are trained to apply consistent responses using an “intervention matrix,” with the goal to reduce bias, increase trust, build transparency and consistency, and provide “logical, related, developmentally appropriate, restorative interventions for violations.”
Green Hill, the school
While overcrowding, violence and scandals brought attention to the carceral aspects of the state’s largest youth prison — and dominated headlines — its education often went unnoticed.
Green Hill School is, as its name indicates, a fully operational school offered through the Chehalis School District, with classes from elementary through high school.
Graduations are held weekly, in part to encourage students to continue their studies.
GED programs are also available.
Kevin Ryan serves as Green Hill’s principal, overseeing a full curriculum and staff of 14 teachers. Ryan also heads programs at Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center and Lewis County Alternative School/Turning Point.
Ryan, who was previously principal at both Onalaska and Adna, said the school values its relationship with the district.
Learning extends beyond the typical classroom. Tim Daly teaches a range of professional skills out of the auto shop, from repair and sandblasting to powder coating and sign making.
Students also have access to a plasma table and can practice driving using a simulator.
Centralia College, meanwhile, provides students the opportunity to earn their Associate of Arts (AA) degree while incarcerated at the facility. Again the courses go beyond the classroom. Welding, which is offered as a college class, allows students to develop toward becoming certified with the Washington Association of Building Officials.
Others gain work experience in the kitchen and laundry programs.
Those interested in construction can earn certifications in forklift operation and OSHA through the Trades Education and Pre-Apprenticeship.
During the tour, reporters watched as a group of students assembled a tiny home that would ultimately be used by the King County Housing Authority.
Entry to these programs is competitive and highly dependent on behavior.
Culture Barber Academy is a prime example. Eight barbers are admitted at a time and must spend 10 to 12 months to complete the program and become licensed.
Mentoring programs
Wright is especially proud of the work done in the mentoring space, which includes programs such as ReSet, a 24-week course that, according to DCYF, offers support for individuals involved in gangs in order to help them see beyond their gang identity.
The program showcases former youth who come back to teach.
Wright noted that many incarcerated youth have never been to school, and thus have never been exposed to the expectations and structure of a regular classroom and group setting.
ReSet and other mentorship programs help youth get acclimated.
Wright highlighted a recent Black History Month event that included members of different gangs who met to discuss issues, talk and collaborate with one another.
Jose Caywood, youth engagement program specialist at Green Hill, noted the facility’s many cultural and religious groups. He and Wright lauded programs aimed at promoting awareness and inclusivity. According to DCYF, such programs include LatinX, Native Circle, Asian Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (ANHPI), Ekwos Indo-European Cultural Group and Black Student Union.
Reporters visited the room where these groups are held, its walls lined with flags, displays, and artwork — some made by students.
Instruments sat in corners waiting to be played.
Near one wall, an ofrenda, part of the Mexican Día de los Muertos celebration, stood to honor and remember dead family members and loved ones.
•••
Look for part two of this series in an upcoming edition of The Chronicle. It will examine staffing, recreation and health.
