Department of Youth Services trying to ‘right size’ programs to shifting populations

A high school classroom in Florida. A state senator has prefiled a bill that would provide compensation to teachers injure on the job. (Getty)

The executive director of the Alabama Department of Youth Services (DYS) Friday laid out potential changes to the department operations that he said reflected the changing needs of the population they serve.

Steven Lafreniere said at a meeting that the department, which administers juvenile justice and services, needed to accommodate longer-term stays of the children coming to the department.

“We’re getting in more serious kids, I would say or high risk kids that have more health, behavioral health needs as well as mental health needs,” he said.

He cited a change of code in 2008 and said he hopes those kids were served by diversion programs.

In 2008, Rep. Tammy Irons, D-Florence, sponsored HB 28, or the “Juvenile Justice Act,” which altered the code around juvenile justice, including types of persons who cannot be detained or confined in secure custody. According to a contemporary Tuscaloosa News article, the goal was to divert some juveniles to community programs.

Lafreniere also pointed to HB 352, sponsored by Rep. Paul Lee, R-Dothan, and passed earlier this year, which makes the department financially responsible for any costs incurred by the county’s detention if DYS does not take the child after 12 business days, or 16 days from Oct. 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2025. The director said it would be “a big challenge” to do that.

Lafreniere said that the situation was aggravated due to issues around staffing and described it as a “perfect storm.”

“It was an opportunity to take advantage of a crisis, I will say,” he said.

A message was left with Lee on Friday afternoon.

Sonny Brasfield, executive director of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama, said Friday that the aim of the bill was to speed up the process and that it is modeled after how the process works with state inmates.

“We really don’t want the department to have to go through the payment process that’s in the bill,” he said. “What we hope happens is that this speeds the process up, and that the kids can get into the programs that they need a little more quickly.”

He said that they are looking to move towards a program lasting three to six months.

In DYS’ education committee, which met ahead of the full board meeting, Tracy Smitherman, superintendent of the system, said that they are moving towards having teachers accredited in core subjects in math and English. She said they have already hired a science teacher, and that the department employs a certified history teacher who plans to stay with them.

“The students weren’t there long enough to go through the special ed process,” she said.

Lafreniere said at the main board meeting that it would open more beds and take kids off of the waiting list.

“So, again, trying to right-size,” he said.

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