The Washington state Senate unanimously passed a bill on Monday, March 10, focused on the management of the state’s juvenile rehabilitation facilities, including Green Hill School in Chehalis, which has been plagued by violence and criminal activity in recent years.
Senate Bill 5278, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, is a response to overcrowding and safety issues at the state’s juvenile detention facilities.
The bill now heads to the Washington state House of Representatives.
According to a news release from Senate Republicans, the situations at juvenile rehabilitation facilities across the state have been worsening since a series of justice reforms in 2018 and 2019, including “JR to 25.” The reform allowed those convicted before their 18th birthdays to delay being transferred from a juvenile facility to one for adults until they turn 25.
“JR-25 was well-intentioned, but our system was unprepared for the overcrowding that would happen,” Braun said. “Violent offenders are taking advantage of a system that wasn’t designed to hold them long-term, leading to dangerous conditions inside our juvenile justice facilities,”
Braun said the Green Hill facility, which is managed by the state Department of Children, Youth and Families, has become more difficult to manage due to overcrowding and has seen rises in violence, gang activity and drug use. Several staff members have participated in the illegal behaviors, from having inappropriate relationships with inmates to introducing drugs and contraband.
“Overcrowding has made conducting classes and providing treatment or counseling too dangerous. We need to do more to get these young people back on track,” Braun said. “The Green Hill School sometimes houses residents at twice its capacity. SB 5278 provides officials with tools to manage the population so that minimum-risk residents can begin transitioning back into society and more dangerous residents can be transferred to the custody of DOC.”
The new policy within SB 5278 enables the Department of Children, Youth and Families to transfer inmates over 18 who have proven to be dangerous to others to the Department of Corrections. Inmates over 18 could also transfer to a Department of Corrections facility voluntarily.
The bill also provides new resources to inmates to begin transitioning back into society before being released by being transferred to one of eight residential facilities where they could receive treatment, education and other means of support.
Inmates can also participate in work release programs through the Department of Corrections if SB 5278 is passed by the Legislature. Certain inmates could hold a job, go to school or seek other training while remaining in “partial confinement.” These privileges are intended to reward non-violent individuals and can be revoked if certain restrictions are violated.
“The unanimous passage of this bill in the Senate shows that improving public safety and rehabilitating young offenders is not a partisan issue,” Braun said. “We all want a system that protects staff, supports rehabilitation and ensures that those who are truly dangerous are placed in the right environment. Senate Bill 5278 moves us in that direction.”
