DRA Had Warned of Insufficient Staffing Levels at Youth Facility Where Staff Fired After Recent Escapes

A jail supervisor at the Lewisville Juvenile Treatment Center (LJTC) was fired after two teenagers escaped from the facility last week.  While no injuries occurred and the the boys were located the next day, the supervisor was terminated due to a finding that he had failed to follow procedures and allowed them to cross the campus unsupervised.  Disability Rights Arkansas had issued a report in January 2017 warning that the Lewisville site lacked “adequate numbers of staff to provide direct care and supervision to youth”.

State officials responded that since the issuance of DRA’s report, the facility has returned to 2016 staffing levels, which translates to about 45 staff; however, DRA contends this is still an insufficient number of staff “given the size and needs of the residential population”.

To read the article in full, by Amanda Claire Curcio, click here:  Escape Leads Arkansas Youth Lockup to Fire Worker