This afternoon, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) transferred 43 young people with adult sentences from Green Hill School to the Department of Corrections (DOC). The transfers are part of DCYF’s ongoing efforts to address safety concerns arising from the rapidly growing population at Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) facilities.
Over the last year, Green Hill has experienced an unpredictable influx of young people entering JR that outnumbered releases each week, causing a rise in population that reached 30% above its capacity. Admissions increased 60% since 2023. More young people are getting sentenced and for longer periods, filling up capacity at JR facilities faster than expected.
“This decision was not made lightly, but the security risks related to overcrowded facilities have made our current situation untenable,” said DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter. “We have to prioritize the safety of young people and staff, and that it is safer for everyone when we have capacity levels that promote rehabilitation.”
The individuals who were transferred were all males over 21 with an adult sentence that went beyond their 25th birthday and would have eventually transferred to DOC to serve the remainder of their sentence.
The transfers come a week after DCYF announced the suspension of intakes at Green Hill and Echo Glen Children’s Center in an effort to stabilize the rising JR population.
Prior to the transfers, Green Hill had 236 young people, way above the 180 that is considered best practice for such a facility. Today’s transfers will help decrease the population at Green Hill, however, the agency will keep the suspension of intakes in place until it reaches safe and sustainable population levels. The state is reimbursing counties for the costs of detaining young people until DCYF can take custody of them.
“We made this call to protect our staff, community, and the young people we serve, and this was the most equitable way to do it,” explained Hunter. “We considered all our options and had to take action to address unsustainable conditions on campus.”
To provide relief in capacity in the long-term, Gov. Jay Inslee authorized DCYF to immediately begin identifying options for opening a small, medium security facility that will serve young people with greater behavioral and mental health needs in a more appropriate way. There is no set date for when that facility would open.
The agency is preparing proposals for the 2025 legislative session to support a more adequate implementation of JR to 25, such as adding those smaller, medium security facilities and significant investments in programming and workforce.