TESTIMONY OF D.C. INTERIM INSPECTOR GENERAL AUSTIN ANDERSEN BEFORE THE SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
“Review of Deficiencies at the District of Columbia’s Youth Services Administration” March 30, 2004
GOOD MORNING CHAIRMAN DEWINE AND MEMBERS OF THE SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. MY NAME IS AUSTIN ANDERSEN, AND I AM THE INTERIM INSPECTOR GENERAL (IG) FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, OR OIG. JOINING ME TODAY IS ALVIN WRIGHT, JR, ASSISTANT IG FOR INSPECTIONS; ROBERT ISOM, DEPUTY ASSISTANT IG FOR INSPECTIONS; AND LAWRENCE PERRY, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND INSPECTIONS.
YSA IS ONE OF THE LARGEST COMPONENTS OF THE DISTRICT’S DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES. IT IS CHARGED WITH DEVELOPING AND ADMINISTERING A CITYWIDE SERVICE SYSTEM THAT EMPOWERS YOUTHS ENTRUSTED TO ITS CARE TO BECOME LAWFUL, COMPETENT, AND PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS. THE OAK HILL YOUTH CENTER OPERATED BY YSA IN LAUREL, MARYLAND, HOUSES JUVENILES SENT BY THE COURTS FOR BOTH SHORT- AND LONG-TERM DETENTION.
OUR INSPECTION TEAM FOUND SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES IN ALL KEY AREAS OF MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS IN YSA, AND PARTICULARLY AT OAK HILL. I WILL BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS IN OUR REPORT OF INSPECTION BEING RELEASED TODAY. MANAGEMENT AND INTERNAL CONTROL ISSUES THE INSPECTION TEAM FOUND MANY EMPLOYEES WHO WERE HIGHLY MOTIVATED AND DEDICATED TO CARRYING OUT YSA’S MISSION. HOWEVER, MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP OF YSA HAS BEEN UNSTABLE BECAUSE YSA HAS HAD DIFFICULTY RETAINING ITS TOP MANAGERS. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A CHRONIC LACK OF EFFECTIVE SUPERVISION OF EMPLOYEES, DIMINISHED ACCOUNTABILITY, AND INSUFFICIENT OVERSIGHT OF CRITICAL OPERATIONS AT ALL LEVELS. THERE WERE FOUR DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATORS OF YSA DURING THE PERIOD OF THIS INSPECTION. FOR LONG PERIODS, OTHER SENIOR MANAGEMENT POSITIONS HAVE BEEN EITHER VACANT OR FILLED BY EMPLOYEES IN AN INTERIM OR ACTING STATUS. FOR EXAMPLE, IN NOVEMBER 2003, THE INSPECTION TEAM COUNTED 16 KEY POSITIONS THAT WERE VACANT.
MANY OF THE SAME TYPES OF PROBLEMS THAT RESULTED IN THE 1986 JERRY M. LAWSUIT STILL EXIST 17 YEARS LATER. BETWEEN 1998 AND 2003, YSA SPENT APPROXIMATELY $3.6 MILLION ON CONSULTANTS IN AN EFFORT TO BRING YSA INTO SUSTAINED COMPLIANCE WITH THE JERRY M. DECREE. HOWEVER, A NUMBER OF THESE PROJECTS WERE NOT PROPERLY MONITORED AND RESULTED IN UNAUTHORIZED OVERSPENDING AND UNFULFILLED OBJECTIVES. FOR EXAMPLE, YSA PAID A CONSULTANT APPROXIMATELY $1.25 MILLION BETWEEN 1999 AND 2001 TO IMPROVE THE AGENCY’S INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, YET THE CONSULTANT NEVER PROVIDED THE DELIVERABLES SPECIFIED IN THE CONTRACT. YSA HAD TO HIRE ANOTHER CONSULTANT TO DO THE WORK DESIRED. EVEN AFTER HIRING ANOTHER CONSULTANT, HOWEVER, YSA’S IT SYSTEM STILL CANNOT GENERATE BASIC STATISTICAL REPORTS. THE TEAM ALSO FOUND THAT DOCUMENTATION AND DELIVERABLES FOR SOME CONTRACTS COULD NOT BE ACCOUNTED FOR.
YSA POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ACROSS THE BOARD FOR THE PROVISION OF SERVICES TO YOUTH WERE EITHER OUT OF DATE OR NONEXISTENT.
SECURITY PROBLEMS
THE INSPECTION TEAM DOCUMENTED INADEQUATE SEARCHES OF EMPLOYEES AND VISITORS AT SECURITY CHECKPOINTS, AND THIS ALLOWED CONTRABAND SUCH AS ILLEGAL DRUGS TO ENTER THE FACILITY. SECURITY EQUIPMENT SUCH AS METAL DETECTORS WAS PRESENT BUT NOT BEING USED. THERE WAS WEAK SECURITY AT THE MAIN ENTRANCE AND THE COMPOUND PERIMETER. THE TEAM DID OBSERVE SUBSEQUENT IMPROVEMENT IN THE SECURITY GUARD UNIT AFTER DIRECT INTERVENTION BY CITY ADMINISTRATOR ROBERT BOBB. MR BOBB REPLACED INADEQUATELY SUPERVISED CONTRACT SECURITY GUARDS WITH BETTER-TRAINED AND MORE CLOSELY SUPERVISED DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS EMPLOYEES.
OTHER SECURITY PROBLEMS OBSERVED BY THE TEAM INCLUDED:
• INOPERATIVE AND INSUFFICIENT ELECTRONIC MONITORING EQUIPMENT;
• INADEQUATE TWO-WAY RADIOS AND PHONES FOR CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS IN THE FEMALE UNIT;
• AN UNSECURED DOOR IN THE GATEHOUSE CONTROL BOOTH;
• YOUTHS NOT BEING PHOTOGRAHED WHEN REMANDED TO OAK HILL;
• INADEQUATE BACKGROUND CHECKS ON EMPLOYEES WHO REGULARLY INTERACT WITH YOUTHS; AND
• NO DETAILED PROCEDURES OR TRAINED STAFF TO HANDLE ESCAPES. DRUGS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
A NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES TOLD OUR TEAM THAT ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES SUCH AS MARIJUANA AND PCP ARE SMUGGLED INTO THE OAK HILL FACILITY REGULARLY. YOUTH CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS EMPLOYED BY YSA ARE ALLEGED TO BE A PRIMARY SOURCE OF ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES USED BY OAK HILL YOUTHS. ACCORDING TO SOME YSA OFFICIALS, ALMOST 100% OF YOUTHS AT OAK HILL HAVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEMS, YET THE INSPECTION TEAM NOTED THAT OAK HILL HAS NOT HAD A STRUCTURED SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAM AS REQUIRED BY THE COURT SINCE APRIL 2003. PRIOR TO THAT DATE, A VENDOR PROVIDED A SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM, BUT REPORTEDLY CHOSE NOT TO RENEW ITS CONTRACT BECAUSE YSA COULD NOT PREVENT THE INFLUX OF DRUGS INTO THE OAK HILL FACILITY. THE TEAM ALSO NOTED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS FUNDS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST YSA WITH A TREATMENT PROGRAM. HOWEVER, YSA HAS NOT MET THE REQUIREMENTS NECESSARY TO OBTAIN SUCH FUNDING.
WE ALSO FOUND SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES IN THE DRUG SCREENING PROGRAM, INCLUDING A LACK OF PROCEDURES AND TRAINING FOR COLLECTING URINE SAMPLES, LACK OF A CHAIN OF CUSTODY FOR SAMPLES, AND POOR RECORD KEEPING.
SAFETY AND HEALTH ISSUES
THE INSPECTION TEAM FOUND SERIOUS FIRE AND OTHER SAFETY DEFICIENCIES THAT PUT OAK HILL YOUTHS AT UNACCEPTABLE RISK:
• MISSING FIRE EXTINGUISHERS;
• NO FIRE DRILLS;
• NO EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN;
• MANUAL DOOR LOCKS ON RESIDENTS’ ROOMS THAT COULD IMPEDE ESCAPE DURING A FIRE OR OTHER EMERGENCY; AND
• INSUFFICIENT KEYS AVAILABLE TO CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS TO UNLOCK DOORS DURING EMERGENCIES.
WE FOUND THAT THE CULINARY UNIT DOES NOT HAVE WRITTEN SANITATION POLICIES, FOOD SERVICE PERSONNEL ARE NOT REQUIRED TO UNDERGO ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS, AND SOME OAK HILL FACILITIES DO NOT MEET FEDERAL AND LOCAL CODES REGARDING ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, AND SAFETY STANDARDS. THE TEAM OBSERVED POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL AND FIRE CODE VIOLATIONS, EXPOSED RUSTING AND LEAKING PIPES, AND EVIDENCE OF VERMIN INFESTATION. IN ADDITION, NUMEROUS ABANDONED BUILDINGS ON THE OAK HILL COMPOUND ARE UNSECURED AND HAVE BEEN VANDALIZED.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ISSUES
YSA’S KEY COMPUTER DATABASE IS OUTDATED AND CANNOT BE MAINTAINED BY CURRENT STAFF. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, THE SYSTEM CANNOT GENERATE STATISTICAL REPORTS. IN ADDITION, SOME YSA DEPARTMENTS DO NOT HAVE COMPUTER ACCESS. THESE PROBLEMS IMPAIR YSA’S ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS.
CONCLUSION
THE CONDITIONS FOUND AT YSA THUS FAR STRONGLY INDICATE THAT THE MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP OF SENIOR DHS AND YSA OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN WEAK AND INEFFECTIVE. CONSEQUENTLY, THE INSPECTION TEAM RATES YSA A POORLY PERFORMING COMPONENT OF THE DISTRICT’S JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATIONS
OUR REPORT CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MAYOR AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES:
1. MAKE YSA A SEPARATE, CABINET-LEVEL AGENCY REPORTING DIRECTLY TO THE DEPUTY MAYOR FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND ELDERS. THIS WILL REDUCE THE EXISTING MULTIPLE LAYERS OF BUREAUCRACY, AND COULD MAKE YSA EXECUTIVE POSITIONS MORE ATTRACTIVE TO EXPERIENCED AND COMPETENT ADMINISTRATORS WILLING TO STAY IN PLACE FOR THE LONG TERM.
2. FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT’S PERFORMANCE-BASED STANDARDS SYSTEM FOR JUVENILE FACILITIES. THIS SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPED BY THE COUNCIL OF JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATORS TO ASSIST YOUTH FACILITIES SUCH AS OAK HILL IN CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS OF CONFINEMENT AND THE SERVICES PROVIDED.
THIS CONCLUDES MY TESTIMONY, AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
