St Johns YSI Facilities
CCC #2009-05855
Complaint: Unsafe conditions for youth and staff. Click here to read original message.
Correspondence:
11/10/09
From: <Mary.Eubanks@djj.state.fl.us>
To: <cathycorry@juno.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:40:16 -0500
Subject: RE: Justice4Kids.org - COMPLAINT - St Johns YSI Facilities
CCC Incident (200905855)
11/10/09
From: cathycorry@juno.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 8:26 AM
To: Eubanks, Mary
Subject: Fw: Justice4Kids.org - COMPLAINT - St Johns YSI Facilities
Mary, As I requested, please provide the DJJ IG/CCC# for below complaint.
~Cathy
11/05/09
--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: cathycorry@juno.com
To: Mary.Eubanks@djj.state.fl.us
Cc: bj2coffey@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 20:15:05 -0500
Subject: Justice4Kids.org - COMPLAINT - St Johns YSI Facilities
Mary Eubanks,
See below complaint posted 11/04/09 by Barbara Coffey on Justice4Kids.org alleging numerous violations at St Johns Youth Academy and St Johns Juvenile Correctional Facility, as follows: > Staff fear for their safety > Staff neglecting youth by leaving youth unsupervised > Unsupervised youth harmed himself while escaping > Non structured and dangerous environment > Youths not allowed to report incidents and threatened with consequences
Barbara Coffey provides this contact information: Telephone: 904-687-0004 Email: bj2coffey@yahoo.com
Please provide the DJJ IG/CCC# for this complaint.
Cathy Corry - www.Justice4Kids.org
11/05/09
--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: bj2coffey@yahoo.com>
To: cathycorry@juno.com
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 15:17:47 -0800 (PST) S
ubject: Re: J4K Incident Report - St Johns
Cathy, Thank you so very much for your response. I've asked the "experts" as they came home from work today and they explained to me that that escape took place in the high risk facility, or "St. John's Juvenile Correctional Facility" as you have it listed. However, they all cautioned me that YSI has "authority" over both facilities, and hence, my complaint covers both. It seems this really is about the wrong contractor running these facilities.
Once again, your prompt response gives me and "the kids" as I call them hope that something will be done. As I mentioned, if you need corroboration at some point, these kids/employees/former employees will speak.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Barbara Coffey
11/04/09
From: "cathycorry@juno.com" <cathycorry@juno.com>
To: bj2coffey@yahoo.com
Sent: Wed, November 4, 2009 6:06:40 PM
Subject: J4K Incident Report - St Johns Barbara,
I received your message and will forward it to DJJ IG for investigation of the YSI facility, but please respond with clarification as to which facility you describe: St Johns Youth Academy (Moderate-Risk) OR St. Johns Juvenile Correctional Facility (High-Risk) OR BOTH?
Cathy Corry - www.Justice4Kids.org
"Injustice ANYWHERE is a threat to justice everywhere." - Martin Luther King,
Jr.
=================================
http://www.djj.state.fl.us/Residential/facilities/north_facilities/StJohns_Youth_Academy.html
ST. JOHNS YOUTH ACADEMY
St. Johns County, Circuit 7
4500 Avenue D, St. Augustine, Florida 32085
Phone: 904-829-8850 · Fax: 904-829-8851
Email: tuwollar.mobley@youthservices.com
http://www.djj.state.fl.us/Residential/Facilities/north_facilities/StJohns.html
ST. JOHNS JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
St. Johns County, Circuit 7
4500 Avenue D, St. Augustine, Florida 32085
Phone: 904-829-8850 · Fax: 904-829-8851
Email: tuwollar.mobley@youthservices.com
11/04/09
--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <webmaster@justice4kids.org>
To: <cathycorry@juno.com>
Date: 04 Nov 2009 16:20:30 -0600
Subject: J4K Incident Report
*******************************************************************************
Reporter: barbara coffey
Telephone: 904-687-0004
Email: bj2coffey@yahoo.com
Relation: Relative/Guardian
Youth: unknown
Youth_DOB:
JPO_or_Staff: St. John's County run by YSI
Where: St. Johns
When: 10/28/09
Date: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 Time: 04:20 PM
What:
I don't know if this is the correct forum my report; but, I can no longer be silent. I am the parent of a college educated daughter who has worked with troubled youths since she was a freshman in high school. Most recently, she worked for St. John's DJJ under the YSI contract (current contract). Her 3 closest friends who are are my house almost daily also worked at this same facility. These young ladies are all in their mid-20' and 3 of the 4 want to dedicate their lives/careers to "spreading positivity" as they call it to juveniles.
Note that I mention they worked for YSI in the past tense. All 4 no longer work at YSI as they were so unhappy with the conditions, and feared for their own personal safety. Just this past week, at least 10 youths were left outside in the yard by themselves, with no supervision (the one officer left to supervise them was doing their own laundry). One of the youths decided to take the opportunity to escape. He crawled all the way up the chain link fence and sat there a good 10-15 minutes deciding whether to escape. No one knew they were alone. Until--the St. John's Sheriff's department contacted the facility to inform them one of their youths was escaping. At this point the youth jumped and broke both his ankles. I hear over and over again of the non structure and dangerous situation at YSI. The youths are allowed to run the facility. When incidents occur, the youths are not allowed to report them and are threatened with consequences.
Over and over my home is filled with youth workers still employed at YSI telling stories of what has happened during their shifts.
The one item every one of these very talented and devoted bunch of kids agrees on is that when Three Springs ran the St John's DJJ, none of this happened. There was structure and there were consequences (both positive and negative) for all actions. Youths moved from level to level and there were incentives to complete the program and not become a recidivism statistic.
I ask that you please, please investigate what is going on in this facility under the direction of YSI. I know some great corrections officers who would like to work in a positive program such as Three Springs and I will bet you the juvenile offenders feel the same way.
All of these workers/former workers tell me they would be willing to answer any and all questions to help St. John's kids get the program back they deserve.
Thank you.