NCJ Number
83049
Journal
Corrections Magazine Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: (June 1982) Pages: 38-45
Date Published
1982
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A consent decree outlining changes to be made in the Oklahoma juvenile corrections system is discussed, and changes planned by the Department of Human Services under the decree are considered.
Abstract
The consent decree was derived from a 1978 class-action suit. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit hired a group of national experts to examine the operations of Oklahoma's juvenile institutions. Findings showed physical and mental abuse in the institutions, which are located in sparsely populated rural areas far from the home towns of the residents. Incidents of sexual harassment and abuse perpetrated by staff against female residents were substantiated. Status offenders have been regularly sent to institutions in Oklahoma. The decree is an unusually detailed document which requires that State officials relinquish a great deal of their traditional discretion, including decisions about the size and functions of staff in institutions. Further, the agreement requires that every child committed to the Department of Human Services be placed in the least restrictive alternative located near his/her home community. Moreover, the agreement forbids the department from confining any nonoffender in an institution, defined as a facility housing more than 12 persons. While the Department of Human Services fought the lawsuit for over 3 years, it is now committed to implementing the decree. Efforts are now underway to develop more community programs for youth as alternatives to institutionalization.