CLAYTON — Officials acknowledged this week that staff shortages at ºüÀêÊÓƵ County’s juvenile jail have led to problems serving youth, including leaving them in cells for extended periods of time.
But to address the issues, they need more money to hire more staff, county juvenile jail and court leaders told the county council at a meeting this week.
Officials, however, largely stopped parents from discussing specific allegations at the meeting, as some had hoped to do, leading to heated comments from council members.
“This is an important hearing,†said Councilman Ernie Trakas. “These people need to ask important questions, and we need to get answers to those people. Limiting us in this manner is manipulative and out of line.â€
Parents of youth at the facility have in recent weeks bombarded the council with complaints. They allege their kids have been blocked from calling family and leaving their cells to use the bathroom. The parents have said that the youth have at times had to urinate in food containers, that facility beds are riddled with bedbugs, and that guards have used unnecessary force on their children.
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In response, the council called a special budget meeting on Tuesday to hear from jail and court officials.
There, county court officials including Presiding Judge Mary Elizabeth Ott, Circuit Judge Jason D. Dodson and Chief Juvenile Officer Rick Gaines told the council that they have been inundated with youth after a new law began requiring 17-year-olds to be housed in juvenile facilities.
While considered a historic win for youth rights, the law has also had consequences in Clayton: In recent years, annual admissions have increased by about 60%, Gaines told the council, at times almost filling the 64-bed facility.
The detention facility has about 70 budgeted positions, Gaines said, including about 35 on the floor with youth. He asked the council Tuesday for 10 more positions.
There are nine staff vacancies now, he said. Meanwhile, he’s requiring some staff to work extra shifts, equaling 16-hour days for some.
Those staffing shortages, he said, can lead to youth not being let out of their cells for extended periods.
“The issue seems to be that you don’t have enough people to do what you need to be doing,†Councilwoman Rita Days said. “That’s what I’m hearing.â€
“No,†Gaines replied. “We don’t.â€
But Days also asked why officers have recently quit, and Gaines said he’d have to check with human resources.
“If you don’t know why they left,†Days said, “it might be helpful if you found out.â€
Many parents left the meeting unsatisfied.
Council Chair Shalonda Webb and county counselor Maggie Brueggemann had largely stopped the parents from leveling specific complaints when they spoke to the council.
“I want that to be clear to the parents. I do not want you to walk away thinking we do not care about your child, we don’t understand,†Webb said. “But understand where we have authority and where we don’t have authority.â€
Webb promised to call a second hearing on the subject next month.
Qunshea Jennings said her son has been incarcerated at the facility for months with neglected medical needs. She said she’ll be back at chambers.
“You have to show me,†she told the council. “The other parents and I have been lied to and let down a number of times.â€