Supervisor fired after violence breaks out at juvenile detention center
(WVUE) - Just days after violence broke out inside the Bridge City Youth Facility, a supervisor is terminated.
The Office of Juvenile Justice confirms it's investigating whether that supervisor committed a crime. A source tells FOX 8 that investigators are looking into allegations that the supervisor choked a youth offender as he was being escorted to a dormitory inside the facility.
"What we know is when you have these incidents of violence, it's not about who is in there. It's really indicative of how the facility is being run," says Aaron Clark-Rizzio.
Aaron Clark-Rizzio is the executive director of the Louisiana Center for Children's Rights. It's the public defender's office for Orleans Parish. He says recent reports of violence inside the youth facility are concerning.
"When you hear about these things, through a client or the media, such as in this case, our staff and our investigators will go out to the facility and check in with our clients," says Clark-Rizzio.
The Office of Juvenile Justice fired the supervisor yesterday. Meantime, on Tuesday, four youth offenders ended up in the Jefferson Parish jail after police say they choked and punched a correctional officer inside the Bridge City facility. Police also say one of those same offenders punched a plexiglass door until it broke and hit another correctional officer in the face.
A woman also showed up at the Bridge City facility yesterday after finding out her nephew was also transported to the adult jail.
Devontae Gloston, 17, is accused of committing two counts of battery on a correctional officer inside the youth facility back in February, as well as simple escape.
"They have two jobs. Their job is to keep the children safe and to rehabilitate them. So when we see these incidents of violence, we know they are not doing both of those jobs," says Clark-Rizzio.
Rizzio says his office has reached out to the Office of Juvenile Justice in the past about their concerns, and he says the office is receptive, but he worries not enough is being done at the facility.
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