IDC OCFS report.pdf - New York State Senate

If we take into account that the number of youths in OCFS facilities has been declining for years,
this increase in violence becomes even more startling, since it shows that a larger percent of
those working for or being held and treated by OCFS are now experiencing violence.
Census counts at OCFS facilities from April 2009 to August 2010 10
The total number of youths being kept in these facilities through the FY 2009-10 fiscal year
declined from 983 to 776. At last count, the number of youths in these facilities numbers 701.
We can see that Commissioner Carrión is succeeding at lowering the number of youths being
kept at these facilities. This is all happening at the same time that the number of injuries to staff
have risen dramatically and the number of lost workdays has risen sharply, as documented
above. The State is seeing the cost per youth at these facilities escalate, which is unacceptable.
As was noted earlier, OCFS has been moving to close those facilities known as limited secure
and non-secure centers. If we break down the facility census numbers by the type of facility, we
can see a very significant decline in the number of children held at these limited and non secure
facilities while the number of juveniles held at the secure centers, reserved for juveniles found
guilty of serious criminal acts has fallen by much less.
Census count by facility security level at OCFS, April 2009-August 2010 11
10
Information forwarded by PEF from bi-monthly OCFS census reports
11
Information forwarded by PEF from bi-monthly OCFS census reports