Juvenile Detention: Many Youth Face Long Stays in Facility Designed for Short-Term Support

The average amount of time youth spend in secure detention in the Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center (CCFJC) while waiting for their cases to resolve has grown over time. Overall, the average length of stay for youth in secure detention tripled between 2017 and mid-2023, increasing from 12 days to 39 days. Over 200 youth had stays longer than 100 days in secure detention. While lengths of stay are long for youth facing adult charges, we found that lengths of stay are also growing for youth facing juvenile charges. Secure detention at CCFJC is designed for short-term stays, and the support provided there does not meet the educational, enrichment, and mental health needs of youth facing long periods of detention. King County does not provide long-term mental health programs to those in secure detention, nor does it offer behavior or substance abuse treatment or job training. In addition, low staffing levels have led to shortened school periods, canceled enrichment sessions, and more cell time for youth, which increases their stress levels. The Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD) has attempted several hiring pushes over the last two years with some success, but negative culture and lack of a mechanism for positive performance improvement make continuous improvement difficult.

Youth shared concerns about the living conditions within CCFJC secure detention, disruptions to daily routines, and limited visitation. According to youth, these challenges can cause stress and increase the risk of violence and mental health-related incidents in the facility.

We make recommendations for King County to address the therapeutic and skills development needs of youth held in secure detention for long lengths of stay. We also make recommendations to DAJD management to make operational changes such as modifying its housing classification system, providing performance reviews and coaching opportunities between staff and supervisors, and improving youth access to the independent grievance process available through the Office of the Ombuds.

Although the King County Executive has been working toward ending youth detention, the County Executive’s Care and Closure Advisory Committee has pushed this goal back to 2028, at the earliest, for youth facing juvenile charges, and likely beyond that for youth facing adult charges. Therefore, youth will continue to be held in secure detention at CCFJC for the time being. These youth have increasingly long lengths of stay and complex therapeutic needs that the status quo is not addressing — particularly for youth facing adult charges. Without the appropriate services to meet their needs in a timely manner, youth in secure detention can face negative long-term impacts to their wellbeing.