While state lawmakers wrestle with the budget, two underused juvenile facilities are mandated in the proposed budget to stay open. But the Auburn Juvenile Facility is not one of them. It remains on the chopping block, certain to close by Jan.11, 2009.
Still, some people are wondering why elected officials facing a budget crisis would waste taxpayers' money on empty beds anywhere.
“At this point we're still scheduled to close,” said Jennifer Hunter, acting director of the Auburn facility. She would not comment on the status of anyone employed in this facility, although director Peter Amankwaah no longer appears to be there.
“I'm bound by the same policies (of not commenting) unless we are told otherwise,” she said.
“The state budget does not contain any funding for that facility, so that would mean it's going to close,” a representative from state Sen. Michael Nozzolio's office said.
“As of April 17, there will be only seven employees left at the Auburn Juvenile Facility,” said Edward Borges, Office of Children and Family Services director of communications. “Everyone else will have transferred out.”
On March 9, the 24-bed Auburn facility only had two residents with a staff of 25 employees and an annual budget of $1.8 million.
By March 12, the last resident was gone. The annual cost to taxpayers is $140,000 to $200,000 per empty bed.
“We are posting jobs and making arrangements for current employees to transfer them out,” Borges said. The employees are entitled to receive their current salaries as long as they report for work.
“You still have to come to work to get paid,” he said. “They're state employees. We have guaranteed each and every one of the employees a job offer. It's a commitment we maintain.”
There were more than 200 juvenile facility employees affected statewide, but the number has been reduced to 160 that still need to be transferred. These employees have “first dibs” for other jobs within the agency as well as other state jobs within their present location, Borges said.
While a vacant facility such as the Auburn Juvenile Facility is still being operated and workers are still reporting to work, no children are being assigned.
“We don't have other children to send to these places,” Borges said. “The counties have decided.
“We're waiting for the final budget to be decided. What happens after Jan.11, 2009, will be decided after that.”
On Jan. 12, it is likely that mandatory reassignment will take effect if any employees are left.
Borges wasn't sure what the legal requirements would be if all employees found new jobs before the closing date. It's possible that the building could close early.
“We will be looking for cost savings once all employees have transferred out, he said,”
New York state owns the building, so the Office of General Services is the real estate broker. The county could probably purchase the building if it so chose.
The Auburn facility was one of six underutilized residential facilities slated for closing as part of an ongoing restructuring of the juvenile justice system to improve services to troubled children.
These facilities house children between the ages of 12 and 18, the majority of whom have committed misdemeanors and are sent to a non-secure facility.
OCFS has decided to place these children in community-based programs closer to home to reduce the recidivism rates and redirect monies spent on underused facilities to counseling, education, and job training efforts.
Great Valley Residential Center in Cattaraugus County, with 25 beds and 11 children, and Pyramid Intake Center in the Bronx, with 57 beds, 39 children, and a need for $8 million in capital improvements, are the two underutilized juvenile facilities slated in the proposed budget to be kept open.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
“At this point we're still scheduled to close,” said Jennifer Hunter, acting director of the Auburn facility. She would not comment on the status of anyone employed in this facility, although director Peter Amankwaah no longer appears to be there.
“I'm bound by the same policies (of not commenting) unless we are told otherwise,” she said.
“The state budget does not contain any funding for that facility, so that would mean it's going to close,” a representative from state Sen. Michael Nozzolio's office said.
“As of April 17, there will be only seven employees left at the Auburn Juvenile Facility,” said Edward Borges, Office of Children and Family Services director of communications. “Everyone else will have transferred out.”
On March 9, the 24-bed Auburn facility only had two residents with a staff of 25 employees and an annual budget of $1.8 million.
By March 12, the last resident was gone. The annual cost to taxpayers is $140,000 to $200,000 per empty bed.
“We are posting jobs and making arrangements for current employees to transfer them out,” Borges said. The employees are entitled to receive their current salaries as long as they report for work.
“You still have to come to work to get paid,” he said. “They're state employees. We have guaranteed each and every one of the employees a job offer. It's a commitment we maintain.”
There were more than 200 juvenile facility employees affected statewide, but the number has been reduced to 160 that still need to be transferred. These employees have “first dibs” for other jobs within the agency as well as other state jobs within their present location, Borges said.
While a vacant facility such as the Auburn Juvenile Facility is still being operated and workers are still reporting to work, no children are being assigned.
“We don't have other children to send to these places,” Borges said. “The counties have decided.
“We're waiting for the final budget to be decided. What happens after Jan.11, 2009, will be decided after that.”
On Jan. 12, it is likely that mandatory reassignment will take effect if any employees are left.
Borges wasn't sure what the legal requirements would be if all employees found new jobs before the closing date. It's possible that the building could close early.
“We will be looking for cost savings once all employees have transferred out, he said,”
New York state owns the building, so the Office of General Services is the real estate broker. The county could probably purchase the building if it so chose.
The Auburn facility was one of six underutilized residential facilities slated for closing as part of an ongoing restructuring of the juvenile justice system to improve services to troubled children.
These facilities house children between the ages of 12 and 18, the majority of whom have committed misdemeanors and are sent to a non-secure facility.
OCFS has decided to place these children in community-based programs closer to home to reduce the recidivism rates and redirect monies spent on underused facilities to counseling, education, and job training efforts.
Great Valley Residential Center in Cattaraugus County, with 25 beds and 11 children, and Pyramid Intake Center in the Bronx, with 57 beds, 39 children, and a need for $8 million in capital improvements, are the two underutilized juvenile facilities slated in the proposed budget to be kept open.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
