October 25, 2008
Western New York youth center staffed at $1.7M cost, but no kids
By William Kates, The Associated Press
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SYRACUSE — New York, buffeted by the economic meltdown and facing billions in deficits, is spending $1.7 million in taxpayer money to keep open and staff a Western New York juvenile detention facility that has no residents.

The Great Valley Residential Center in Cattaraugus County was chosen for closure by the Office of Children and Family Services in January of this year, but was saved by state lawmakers during budget negotiations in April.

OCFS officials say there are fewer youth now in the state system — nearly 500 empty beds — as the agency moves from a residential model toward a more community-based approach. An OCFS official described the situation at Great Valley as “absurd,” blaming lawmakers and union leaders for the incredulous circumstances.

“In these trying times, with the state faced with its budget issues, it's absolutely crazy to have to keep open a facility that is empty,” said Edward Borges, an OCFS spokesman.

Meanwhile, lawmakers and union leaders pin the fault on OCFS, accusing Commissioner Gladys Carrion of charging ahead with her conversion plans even as Gov. David Paterson's Task Force on Transforming New York's Juvenile Justice System plots how to develop an overall plan to change the system.

“We agree there are some youths who can succeed in community programs but you don't do a blanket emptying of these facilities so you can shut them down as a cost savings,” said Darcy Wells, director of public affairs for the Public Employees Federation, a union that represents 58,000 state workers, including OCFS teachers, instructors and counselors. “We think she is doing a disservice to the youth and she's not allowing our members to do their jobs.”

“It is a case of blatant mismanagement on the part of the agency,” said state Sen. Catharine Young, a Republican who led the effort to protect Great Valley, which is in her district.

“OCFS has deliberately and systematically stripped these kids from the Great Valley facility to fulfill its anti-Upstate New York agenda,” Young said. “Right now, there are at least 17 youth from the Western New York region who are being shipped around the state. They could be receiving services near their homes in Cattaraugus County.”

A report in 2007 showed that under the present residential system, 80 percent of the children entering the state's juvenile justice system return or go to prison within three years of their release. As a result, OCFS has been moving aggressively toward more community-based alternatives and keeping youth closer to their homes and families, more than 70 percent of which it says are from the New York City area.

Missouri, which has become a national model for the community-based approach, has cut its recidivism rate to 30 percent. But that doesn't mean the same strategy will work in New York, Young said.

In January, OCFS announced it would close six underused residential youth facilities across the state by January 2009 as part of its restructuring, a move that also would save the state $16 million a year.

Besides Great Valley, targeted for closing were the Adirondack Wilderness Challenge in Clinton County; Auburn Residential Center in Cayuga County; Brace Residential Center in Delaware County; Gloversville Group Home in Fulton County; and the Pyramid Reception Center in The Bronx.

Backed by PEF, legislators kept open the Bronx reception center, the state's primary processing point for male residents. Auburn and Gloversville have closed and their staff was transferred to other OCFS facilities or state agencies, Borges said.

The Adirondack Challenge program — a four-month residential and outdoor experiential education program — was taken over by the Adirondack Residential Center. However, the 11 staffers assigned to the program are now working at the Adirondack center and have thus far declined voluntary reassignment, Borges said.

The situation is the same at Brace, empty but with 15 staffers still holding out and filling their time doing inventory, cleaning and winter preparations, Borges said.

Borges said state law required OCFS to give workers 12 months notice before shuttering a facility. That deadline is up Jan. 11, 2009. Borges said the agency will soon be sending out letters to workers reminding them that after that date OCFS will reassign them.

Borges said Great Valley, which has 25 beds, is empty because of the success of the community-based approach. The facility has a staff of 24.

“Everyone keeps saying we are hiding the kids,” he said. “We don't have the kids to hide. We aren't getting them.”

As of Oct. 20, there were 1,003 youth in the state system, leaving 493 empty beds, Borges said. OCFS has reduced its size by nearly 600 beds since 2002. OCFS estimates that each empty bed costs taxpayers around $200,000 per year. Young, however, said the actual cost is about one-fifth of that figure.

“If the state truly is looking to save money, they would keep Great Valley open. Because it is a 25-bed or less facility, it qualifies for federal funding, which pays half the cost of treatment. It would cut our expenses dramatically,” Young said.

Assemblyman Joe Giglio, R-Gowanda, also has defended the decision to keep Great Valley open. The state has invested heavily in recent years in sewer and water projects and other upgrades at the facility. Additionally, it is one of only two facilities serving the eight-country Region 1 area, he said.

News from Assemblyman Joe Giglio
149th Assembly District
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State to Close Great Valley Residential Center
Assemblyman Joe Giglio says he will pursue all options to keep facility open
January 15, 2008

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) announced last week it will close the Great Valley Residential Center in Cattaraugus County in what the agency is calling “an ongoing restructuring to significantly improve services to troubled children.” OCFS has named five other facilities across the state that will be closed, reduced or merged with another facility.

Assemblyman Joe Giglio (R,I,C-Gowanda) says he will pursue every avenue possible to keep the facility open and continue its service for Cattaraugus County.

“I will carefully evaluate the governor’s executive budget when it is released at the end of January to determine what options we have to maintain the operation of this important facility for our region,” said Giglio.

The Great Valley Residential Center avoided closure last year despite Governor Eliot Spitzer’s recommendation that it be shut down in his 2007 executive budget.

Giglio has fought to keep Great Valley open in the past, saying it would not be in the best interest of the state or the youth whom it serves, should the facility close. New York State recently invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into sewer and water projects and many smaller upgrades at the facility. The Great Valley Center is one of only two facilities serving the placed youth of Region 1, which includes the counties of Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Allegany, Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming and Genesee.

“The Great Valley Center always has been part of the community in Cattaraugus County,” said Giglio. “The safety and security of the community and, more importantly, the youth have always remained an utmost priority. Of the 31 OCFS employees at the Great Valley facility, zero AWOL incidents have been reported in the last seven years.”

Giglio also stated, “This facility has received great audit reviews in the past and has the ability to serve youth from a vast region of Western New York. It is my belief that the Office of Children & Family Services can achieve their goal of regionalized youth placement by continuing the operation of the Great Valley facility and also closely monitoring the costs associated with it.”