Latest data shows JR frontline staff turnover rate is now down to 22.8%.
Olympia, WA – The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) submitted its formal response to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) report on Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) Programs. The response highlights the work that is already underway to address the report’s recommendations and the critical next steps that require action by both the legislature and DCYF.
“We cannot do this alone. Addressing overcrowding and increasing rehabilitation require partnership,” said DCYF Secretary Tana Senn. “We did not wait to act until the report was finalized. However, there are things that can only be solved through legislative intervention.”
The bulk of the information collected for this audit was from 2024 and 2025, the height of JR overcrowding. Over the past 12 months, DCYF has:
- Addressed overcrowding through a multi-pronged approach, thanks to funding from the legislature, which allowed for the opening of Harbor Heights, the expansion of Community Transition Services, and security enhancements.
- Implemented a new process for handling rule violations by residents in a way that is fair, clear, and consistent.
- Focused on expanding employee training, providing policy and procedure clarity, and taken steps to remove counselors from security duties to focus on rehabilitation.
- Begun working with external consultants to identify options to expand capacity as directed by the legislature.
- Increased recreation, educational, and vocational programming for all young people. This includes now providing a college option for women at Echo Glen.
- Initiated a comprehensive assessment improvement strategy that builds on DCYF’s existing assessment processes. This will continue to ensure JR programs meet the needs of young people and strengthens assessment governance, tool validation, reliability, and quality assurance.
These actions have resulted in a decrease in overcrowding and increased staff retention:
- On Aug. 13, the population at Green Hill School sat at 180. This lower population at Green Hill has a positive impact on programming, safety, and staff retention.
- Staff turnover among front line staff is now down to 22.8% from the 47% identified in the JLARC report, according to the most up-to-date human resource data (Source: January 2025-June 2026).
DCYF is working on validating the specific assessment tools noted in the report that the agency uses as part of its robust assessment process to inform decision-making about young people’s placement, programming, and rehabilitation needs. Because JR serves a unique and evolving population, no assessment tool can be used in isolation or adopted “off the shelf.” Validating risk and needs assessments takes time as they must be carefully adapted, evaluated, and validated for their intended use with the specific population they serve. Placement decisions continue to be informed by multiple sources of information, including treatment progress, risk and protective factors, and behavioral observations.
The JR population has changed dramatically in recent years. Since the passage of ‘JR to 25,’ the age of clients in JR, the average length of commitment, and the percentage of clients with an adult sentence have all increased. Capacity and staffing issues following the passage of JR to 25 directly contributed to the concerns outlined in the report.
“We believe the report reinforces what the agency has been emphatic about: operating above capacity is unsafe for both young people and staff,” said Secretary Senn. “The JLARC report recommendation for the legislature to address capacity will require additional funding or policy change. DCYF cannot address overcrowding without their help.”
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