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Youth Services Center sees rising length of stay, higher acuity cases; staff shortages hamper programming
Summary
Youth Services Center (YSC) leadership told the commission April 10 the detention population has risen sharply this year, average lengths of stay have increased and the facility now houses more youth charged with serious felony offenses. YSC reported substantial staffing turnover, a high share of new employees
Lede: Bernalillo County Youth Services Center leadership reported April 10 that the center's average daily population has increased significantly this year, average length of stay has grown by roughly 95% and a growing share of residents are charged with violent crimes. Directors said these trends raise medical and security costs and that staffing shortages and excessive overtime constrain programming and supervision.
Nut graf: YSC leaders said the facility needs immediate focus on recruitment and retention for its youth program officer positions, additional behavioral-health/medical supports for residents (Medicaid coverage questions were discussed), and policy-level attention to how long-term detentions interact with state Medicaid rules and county cost of care obligations.
Body: The YSC director said 54% of staff were on probation and 70% had been with the facility less than a year (markers of instability in staffing). YSC reported that 22% of youth had stays longer than 365 days and that roughly 20% of the population was 18 years or older; nearly half of the population were described as charged with murder or similarly violent felonies. The director noted that Medicaid suspensions after 30 days shift medical responsibility to the county, increasing local costs for sustained stays. YSC reported program efforts including new education/OSHA curricula, increased GED/high-set successes, and a push to expand in-house and community programming to reduce recidivism.
Ending: Commissioners thanked YSC leadership and raised prevention and upstream investments as ways to reduce long-term juvenile justice demand. YSC staff asked county leadership to prioritize hiring and to coordinate with state partners on Medicaid and treatment accessibility for youth detained more than 30 days.
