Announcement of ‘new’ facility short on details, collaboration with legislators from districts involved
CENTRALIA… Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement of a new juvenile justice facility in Aberdeen, intended to address overcrowding at Chehalis’s Green Hill School:
“The governor’s decision comes months after I urged him to investigate the alarming issues at Green Hill. My call was driven by investigative news reports and the direct concerns of local law enforcement, who highlighted the deteriorating conditions at the facility.
“Instead of taking immediate action, the governor initially dismissed the problems, denied their existence, and chose to belittle me, suggesting I would recognize improvement ‘should I choose to become more informed.’ However, investigative reporting continued to reveal the worsening reality at Green Hill, despite the governor’s defensiveness toward those raising concerns.
“Yesterday’s announcement about a new 48-bed facility in Aberdeen offers few specifics, including how it will be funded in the short or long term. While it’s encouraging that the governor may finally be acknowledging the serious flaws in our juvenile justice system – flaws exacerbated by Democrat-led policies – this move feels like a last-minute effort by a lame-duck governor, leaving the heavy lifting to his successor.
“Opening one facility is only part of the solution. It does not address the systemic issues plaguing Green Hill, particularly the lack of staff accountability for criminal activity. Overcrowding relief alone will not rebuild integrity or improve outcomes for the young people in these facilities.
“The governor claims there is ‘more to come,’ yet his plan is troublingly silent on collaboration with Republican legislators from the districts that house both Green Hill School and the new Aberdeen facility. True reform demands bipartisan cooperation and input from all stakeholders.
“I stand ready to work with all parties to ensure these facilities provide the intervention and rehabilitation these young men desperately need. If we want real reform, we must address the root causes of these failures and commit to meaningful bipartisan solutions.”
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