NCJ Number
244769
Date Published
September 2009
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This report presents the findings from a site visit to the IYC St. Charles youth correctional facility in Illinois.
Abstract
This report presents the findings from a site visit by staff members and board members from the John Howard Association of Illinois to the IYC (Individual Youth Center) St. Charles youth correctional facility in Illinois. The visit was conducted on September 14, 2009, with the purpose of inspecting all living units at the facility for safety risks, other maintenance problems, and sanitary conditions. The major findings from the visit are 1) the living units at St. Charles, and specifically the sleeping rooms and their furnishings, are rife with self-harm hazards: dangerous beds, toilets, air vent covers and other hazards; and 2) the physical plant at IYC St. Charles has serious, chronic sanitation and maintenance deficiencies. A detailed description of the condition of each of the living units is included in the report, along with photographs documenting the problems. The members of the site visit team found that the facility has suffered from "years of neglect mitigated only by marginal efforts to perform maintenance." As a result, the team developed a set of recommendations to immediately remedy the most serious physical problems at the facility. The recommendations are presented in the report and listed according to which problems should be fixed first in order to ensure the safety of the residents.