It should never be allowed to operate again.
The Tulsa County Family Center for Juvenile Justice was given an ultimatum with a two month deadline: change or be shut down for good. And as the deadline approaches — set for the end of this month — you cannot help but wonder if two months can ever be enough to make substantial systemic changes. Is a couple personnel and managerial changes enough to make a difference in a facility that has been questionable since its opening?
For a facility that has been open for less than five years, the allegations against it form an extensive list. From contraband, fight clubs, lack of proper education, sexual harassment and sexual assault, all brought on by staff, it does not seem like a system such as this could be redeemed in such a short time span. Kids detained in this facility are at the mercy of staff, plain and simple. The civil suit that has been taken up by 30 former residents, keeping in mind that this facility only holds around 30 at a time, accuses the staff of either committing various crimes or being aware of the crimes and allowing them to continue. With little to no repercussions, adults in a serious position of power over minors have been allowed to commit heinous acts. From bribing children with contraband in exchange for sex to encouraging the formation of fight clubs, this facility should ever be allowed to operate again. The accusations have continued to pile up as more people become comfortable stepping forward. We do not yet know how deep this goes.
Detainees have always been a vulnerable population, given that they have little freedom or ability to resist. When the detainees are children, that is an even more vulnerable population. How is a child supposed to fight back against an adult two times their size, especially when that adult is on the other side of a set of bars? Who are these kids supposed to talk to when they are mistreated? If other staff members are aware of the situation and allow it to continue, the kids are utterly alone and at the mercy of someone whose intentions are not necessarily good. The kids detained at FCJJ are awaiting trial and have not yet been convicted of a crime; some might not even be found guilty. While their conviction status should ultimately not change the treatment they are entitled to, it is worth noting that this facility is not supposed to be a substitute for prison. It is a way-station that is permanently traumatizing the children it is supposed to be responsible for. This cruelty is unforgivable.
The Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs has been aware of misconduct much earlier than when the ultimatum was finally delivered. If it took so long for them to finally take action, it is dubious whether their overview at the end of this month will truly be a fair ruling over whether or not the facility should retain its license. If the arrest for rape back in April was not enough for the OJA to consider investigating the facility, what level of horrific conduct would have to be present at the end of this month for them to finally shut the FCJJ down? Accusations of rape were fine enough for the OJA to sit back and do nothing and it would be no surprise if after this month, regardless of the state FCJJ is truly in, the facility is allowed to continue operation and perhaps even taken off of probation.
Any facility with this much of a power imbalance needs to have extensive systems in place to guarantee that actions truly do face consequences, and with a supervising organization this willing to turn a blind eye, it is debatable whether we can truly ever trust the operations of the facility. This needs to be a major concern to everyone. Untrustworthy adults should never have this much free-reign with a group of kids. With a populace and governing authority that is willing to ignore the problems, these kids will always be at risk, and that should worry everyone.
