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August 1, 2008

GBI to probe YDC allegations

Jonathan Jackson

In response to a whistleblower investigation by an Atlanta television news outlet, the state Department of Juvenile Justice has tapped the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into allegations of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation at the Bill Ireland Youth Development Campus in Milledgeville.

Department of Juvenile Justice Commissioner Albert Murray distributed a press release Friday stating that DJJ is looking to an outside agency to investigate claims brought to light by Bill Ireland Director of Mental Health Joan Schonthaler.

In an investigative report by Channel 2 Action News, Schonthaler alleged that DJJ investigators failed to take seriously a Special Incident Report filed in March alleging sexual misconduct between guards and youth at the Bill Ireland campus. Department of Juvenile Justice Public Relations Director Steve Hayes said DJJ investigators found the claim unsubstantiated during an initial investigation, but recently reopened the case at Commissioner Murray’s behest. Now, Murray is looking to the GBI to provide the final word on the matter.

“Although we pursued our own proper investigative procedures in this circumstance, in light of new information and the seriousness of the allegations, I requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation conduct an independent and thorough investigation at the Bill Ireland facility,” Murray stated in the press release.

Tom Davis, special agent in charge of the GBI Region 6 office in Milledgeville, confirmed Friday that his office had already begun looking into the matter and will be conducting an investigation as expeditiously as possible to bring the case to a conclusion.

“We are not assuming that the allegations are false, nor are we assuming that they are true,” Murray stated in the press release. “We are seeking to investigate and determine the facts so that the Bill Ireland facility and the staff there can continue to provide the very best service to the youth.”

The state’s juvenile justice system is also being looked into by the federal Department of Education concerning the practice of tailoring students’ education while in DJJ custody through Individual Education Plans.

Hayes confirmed that a complaint had been filed with DOE about the Individual Education Plan process and that an investigation was under way.

Hayes said the DJJ is accredited as one of the state’s 181 school districts. The Department of Juvenile Justice’s school system is certified by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the same board that certifies all schools in the state of Georgia and several other states. All of the teachers in DJJ’s 30 facilities are certified and students attend school Monday through Friday for five and a half hours a day, Hayes said.

At press time, Hayes could not provide a timeline for either of the investigations.

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