Assaults have skyrocketed this year at the Prince George’s County youth detention facility where a 65-year-old teacher was raped and killed last February. A new report by the Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit, the watchdog for Maryland’s youth facilities, says reports of assaults and suicidal behaviors are rising at the Cheltenham Youth Facility, which remains overcrowded and in poor condition.
A 14-year-old boy at the facility is accused of murdering instructor Hannah Wheeling last February.
Reports from the monitoring unit after Wheeling’s slaying slammed the facility, saying chronic overcrowding and understaffing created “dangerous” conditions that contributed to her death.
The new report lists some improvements — new staffers have been hired and dilapidated furniture has been removed — but says more progress is still necessary.
Between Jan. 1 and March 31, 159 youth-on-youth physical assaults, with and without injuries, were reported at Cheltenham, more than double the 79 in that period during 2010. This year, 23 youth-on-staff assaults were reported in the first quarter, up from four last year. And 19 group disturbances occurred this year, while just three were reported a year ago.
The report notes that Cheltenham was previously suspected of underreporting assaults.
In its written response to the report, the Department of Juvenile Services says more cameras are slated to be installed at the school and emergency buttons are now on classroom phones so security staff can respond faster.
In the first three months of the year, there were 20 reports of suicidal behavior, up from seven in 2010. In one case, a boy returning from court told staff he “had a plan — suffocation” and began banging his head on a table. Others choked themselves until they vomited.
The report called Cheltenham “severely overcrowded” and says some youth sleep on the floor in plastic boat beds. Scheduled activities, like basketball, chess and arts, regularly don’t happen because of staff shortages.
The department’s response says 19 resident advisers began work in the first three months of the year and five others are starting this month.
“When staffing levels are optimum, further programming can be implemented,” the department said.
The monitoring unit also found problems at the Alfred D. Noyes Children’s Center in Rockville. There, reports of inappropriate conduct or comments by youth rose to 71 this year from 31 last year.
Like Cheltenham, “activities rarely occur as scheduled and there is a considerable amount of idle time.”
The department said the rise in incidents was because of more-frequent reviews of behavior. More staff members are going to be hired.
