WAYNE COUNTY, MICHIGAN, August 30, 2022 ~ Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility has been dealing with understaffing issues since the start of the pandemic, all while and violent crimes rapidly increases.
“The average length of stay at the Juvenile Detention Facility was 21 days,” said Wayne County Chief Judge Timothy Kenny to 760 WJR Senior News Analyst Marie Osborne. “Pre-pandemic the average daily population was around 80.”
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August 30, 2022 ~ 760 WJR Senior News Analyst Marie Osborne has an update for Sean on a serious issue with the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility.
Last week, population rose to over 140, and some are staying at the facility for months at a time.
Increased population and understaffing have led to inmates being kept in their cells for longer periods, potentially contributing to more violent outbursts. One worker anonymously stated that sometimes there is only one person manning the building.
In May, the detention center had a riot that lasted almost an hour, and saw nearly 20 juveniles escape from their holding cells. Since 2019, the number of attacks against staff has tripled, from 11 in 2019, to 35 in 2021.
Despite the residents being under the age of 18, many of them are being held for committing the same crimes as the inmates incarcerated in the jail across the street, including carjacking and murder.
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