Let’s not make a bad situation worse. Privatizing youth facility programs may lead to abuse, corruption and higher costs. Effective treatment for troubled youth requires a commitment to consistency and quality services — services best provided by the state workforce. The New York State Executive Budget lays out plans to privatize the operation of minimum-security youth facility programs — a practice that is failing miserably in other parts of the country. Youths in privatized facilities face abuse, neglect and rape. - A 17-year-old girl dies in an Arkansas privatized facility after nurses disregard the girl’s repeated collapsing and complaints of illness. - A 16-year-old girl is raped at a privatized Santa Fe County youth development program in New Mexico. - Inappropriate sexual contact with female detainees by male staffers took place at the privately run Marion County Juvenile Justice Complex in Indiana. - In Arkansas, a juvenile on suicide watch hangs himself, while private-sector workers sleep on the job. - Incompetence, misconduct and violence led to the firing of 200 employees at privatized Florida juvenile centers. Privatizing youth centers will cost the state more money.* Don’t make a bad situation worse. Tell the NYS Division of Budget to stop the privatization of state youth facilities. Ensure New York’s troubled youth get the treatment they need. * “The Effectiveness of Juvenile Correctional Facilities: Public Versus Private Management,” Yale University Economic Growth Center. Download PDF print ad PEF Public Relations ad campaigns This ad was created by the PEF PR department and appeared as a black & white version in the Jan. 30, 7 Feb 13, 2006 edition of The Legislative Gazette. © Copyright 2006.