Woodland Hills saw violence long before escapes, riots
Violence was occurring inside the troubled Woodland Hills Youth Development Center long before a crisis erupted earlier this month, when 32 teens escaped from the facility and two days later riots broke out, leaving two guards injured.
Between January and early September, there were 145 reported incidents of violence at Woodland Hills, including 39 assaults by teens on other teens, 51 assaults by teens on staff and 55 fights between the youths, who typically range in age from 14 to 19, according to data obtained by The Tennessean.
An attorney appointed to represent the civil rights of youths at the facility said that may be an undercount.
The attorney, Everette Parrish, said he has received several credible reports from youths who escaped and returned, or were captured, that physical abuse had factored into their decision to flee.
"I'm hearing enough consistent stories by enough youth that I'm deeply concerned about a very small number of guards at the facility," said Parrish.
A special investigations unit within the Department of Children's Services has opened investigations into abuse and neglect of teens at the facility, officials said Friday.
Since the incidents, security officers have lodged complaints with the Tennessee State Employees Union about violence and chronic understaffing at the facility, according to executive director John Summer, who plans to reach out to DCS Commissioner Jim Henry and legislators with the security officers' concerns.
"All assaults are concerning," said Monica Middlebrooks, DCS deputy commissioner for juvenile justice.
DCS Superintendent of Facilities Joel Player said officials are working to identify and rectify problems at Woodland Hills, but he cautioned the assault numbers alone don't tell the whole story.
"Just so the numbers aren't misleading, a lot of those may not be as major as it seems," Player said, noting his department's policy requires reporting even non-injury incidents, such as teen placing his hands on a guard.
On Sept. 1, 32 teens escaped the facility by crawling under a weak spot in the perimeter fence. Two days later, riots broke out on the grounds of the facility, with teens brandishing fire extinguishers and sticks.
Within the week, all but two of the teens had been recaptured or turned themselves in. Two 17-year-old boys remain at large.
The breakouts and the riot that followed made national news. They also required the intervention of Metro police and state Department of Correction security officers. Metro police estimate the eruptions cost $44,342 in equipment and staff hours, including more than $6,500 for a police helicopter used to conduct aerial searches. The Department of Correction, which sent in a strike-force team to restore order, spent $27,200.
Security upgraded
Since then, the department has retrofitted all the dorms to provide more security, added additional metal plates to doors and begun construction on a low concrete buffer to surround the perimeter fence.
The department also has obtained authority to lock teen dorm rooms during emergency situations — a practice previously thought to be restricted by court order. DCS' legal team has since determined it is not, and is researching whether doors can be locked at other times, Middlebrooks said.
The department has hired eight new officers and made 24 job offers. The goal, Middlebrooks said, is to ensure a ratio of one guard for every 12 youths. At the time of the breakout, the ratio was one to 16, with guards regularly working overtime.
Eight youths 18 or older who fled the facility all pleaded guilty to escape charges and remain jailed in Davidson County. Other youths who escaped, but were brought back by parents, turned themselves in or were found by police, remain at Woodland Hills. Eleven teens who participated in riots on Sept. 3 were sent to a Columbia, Tenn., juvenile holding facility while repairs were made at Woodland Hills and have since been returned.
DCS' internal affairs division is conducting a broader investigation into the circumstances behind the riots and the breakout. Workers are interviewing each of the youths inside Woodland Hills at the time of the incidents, including those currently held in adult facilities. The agency is working with an outside consultant and the Department of Correction to conduct a security analysis at all three DCS lockups for delinquent youths.
Davidson County Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway said her office also is working closely with DCS officials to weigh possible new oversight of the teens, including a regular review by outside experts and community members about their treatment and welfare.
"If that's the place that's our last resort for treatment and rehabilitation for youth, and they're not getting it or they're displaying behaviors that are worse than what they were sent there for, then that's very concerning," Calloway said.
"Our goal is to have a strong and positive response to the negative things that happened, because it boils down to our youth and making sure they have the best opportunity to rehabilitate."
Reach Anita Wadhwani at 615-259-8092 and on Twitter @AnitaWadhwani.
Snapshot of Woodland Hills at the time of the Sept. 1 mass escape
Number of youths: 76
Ages:
18 years: 3
17 years: 35
16 years: 27
15 years: 7
14 years: 4
Race and ethnicity:
White: 30
Black: 46
Hispanic: 5
* Individuals can be counted as Hispanic and either white or black at the same time.
Felony convictions:
Three or more: 71 youths
Fewer than three: 5 youths
Average cost per day per youth: $440.93
Source: Tennessee Department of Children's Services