Forty-three men over the age of 21 were transferred Friday to adult prisons from the juvenile detention center they were sentenced to due to safety concerns from a “rapidly growing population,” according to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families.
The 43 men, who all have adult sentences, were transferred from Green Hill School to the Department of Corrections, which manages adult prisons. Last week, the state suspended intakes at its two youth detention centers — Green Hill School in Lewis County and Echo Glen’s Children Center in Snoqualmie — due to capacity issues.
The people who were transferred are all men over 21 with an adult sentence that went beyond their 25th birthday and would have eventually transferred to DOC to serve the remainder of their sentence, according to a DCYF news release.
Green Hill was 30% above capacity before the transfer. DCYF said the influx over the last year has been “unpredictable.” However, the agency cited Washington’s JR to 25 law — which passed over 5 years ago — as a reason for the increase.
Under the state law, the 43 men should have been held under the jurisdiction of DCYF until they were 25. The law states defendants who were convicted in adult court of serious crimes that occurred when they were juveniles should remain in juvenile rehabilitation facilities up until age 25. At that point, they are to be transferred to adult correctional facilities to serve out any time they have remaining on their sentence.
Neuroscience has shown adolescent brains aren’t fully developed until age 25, prompting the U.S. Supreme Court to issue several rulings since 2005 that consider juveniles less culpable than adults for criminal behavior. Science has also noted adolescents possess a higher inclination for change and rehabilitation than adults.
“This decision was not made lightly, but the security risks related to overcrowded facilities have made our current situation untenable,” said DCYF Secretary Ross Hunter. “We have to prioritize the safety of young people and staff, and that it is safer for everyone when we have capacity levels that promote rehabilitation.”
The intake suspension order remains in place at the state’s two youth detention centers. Gov. Jay Inslee authorized DCYF to begin identifying options for opening another small, medium security facility, according to the news release. There is no set date for when that detention center may open.
DCYF is preparing proposals for the 2025 legislative session to support a “more adequate implementation” of JR to 25, the news release said, including other medium security facilities and “significant” investments in the workforce.