By Juan Carlos Rodriguez
Albuquerque Journal
ALBUQUERQUE, NM — The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico has seven more months to monitor a troubled youth detention center, a state district judge ruled Monday.
The ACLU sought a temporary restraining order against the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department for violating an agreement the two organizations created to improve conditions at juvenile detention centers in the state.
That agreement expired Dec. 31, and the ACLU asked that it be extended.
The ACLU alleged CYFD fabricated meeting minutes and withheld information to cover up its lack of progress on the improvements.
One of the allegations was that medical records from the San Juan Juvenile Detention Center in Farmington showing serious lapses in care were withheld from an independent auditor. The auditor said in a report that CYFD purposely kept the records from him.
CYFD has denied those claims.
District Judge Clay Campbell granted the ACLU another seven months of oversight at San Juan based on those allegations. He also said the independent auditor can visit the site and examine its records.
The ACLU had asked that it be allowed to continue to monitor three other CYFD sites, but Campbell denied that request, as well as the ACLU’s request that the rest of the agreement be extended.
Campbell also said the CYFD must continue to work with contractors to put into effect Cambiar New Mexico, a program designed to reduce the jail-like atmosphere of juvenile detention facilities.
Copyright 2011 Albuquerque Journal