Young people have been chained to benches at police stations for hours as county officials try to find appropriate housing, the county argued in court.
A Superior Court judge has ruled that a state agency is responsible for finding appropriate housing for juveniles ordered detained on criminal charges in New Jersey.in September, saying the agency ignored its responsibility to manage the statewide housing of juveniles charged with crimes and instead ordered the counties to figure it out.
The state Juvenile Justice Commission argued the counties, not the commission, are responsible for ensuring they have adequate plans to house detained juveniles. A representative for the Juvenile Justice Commission declined to comment on the ruling. “Given the ongoing litigation, we cannot comment on the merits of the decision,” the spokesperson said.Atlantic County’s Harborfields facility exceeded its maximum capacity of 20 youths in 2024 and the county has struggled for months to find beds in other youth detention facilities around the state, according to county officials.
Claims in Atlantic County’s suit that the commission violated the state Civil Rights Act and breached terms of a contract between the county and the commission should be considered by the state appellate court, Blee ruled. In highlighting several cases of struggles to find open beds for detained juveniles, the county described a September incident in which a youth was taken to a hospital “for a second time for suicidal ideation after 19 hours in police custody.”
“How does the hard-working Atlantic County staff know about safety concerns, capacity limits, sex offenders, and gang affiliates in Bergen County? The JJC has this institutional knowledge and must, as a matter of law, make this decision,” Blee wrote.
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