Wikipedia

Green Hill School (Chehalis, Washington)

Green Hill School is part of Washington state's correctional system under the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration, and is the state's only maximum security penitentiary for youths.[1] It is located in the South Market district of Chehalis on I-5, next to Recreation Park.

Green Hill School
Green Hill School, 2022
Address
Map
375 SW 11th Street

Chehalis, Washington
98532
Coordinates46°38′59″N 122°57′44″W / 46.64972°N 122.96222°W / 46.64972; -122.96222
Information
School typeYouth detention center
Established1891 (as Washington State Reform School)
School districtChehalis School District
SuperintendentJennifer Redman
GenderMale
WebsiteDCYF - Green Hill School

The school is independently managed by the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF).[2] It provides "academic classes and vocational training and works" for adolescent males who have been incarcerated.

Description

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Green Hill School is described as a medium-to-maximum security prison for young men considered to be either juveniles or adults between the ages of 17 to 25. The facility is the largest such type in the state.[3] The residents are referred to as inmates or incarcerated individuals. The young men are able to continue their education, with the opportunity to receive a high school diploma and secondary honors, such as technical certifications or bachelor's degrees.[4]

History

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Washington State Reform School, 1899

19th century

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Begun by law in 1891 under the name, Washington State Reform School, it was originally open to both girls and boys as young as 8 years old who were orphaned or convicted of a crime. Young women would be sent to a girls-only reform school, named Maple Lane, in Grand Mound beginning in 1913. The name was changed to Washington State Training School in the early 20th century.[5][6][a]

20th century

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In the early 20th century, Green Hill students had a band that would march in local parades and celebrations, often times to raise funds for the school and student activities. Fundraisers sometimes included performing in minstrel shows, a common activity at the time, often at theaters in the city.[7] Students were taught a variety of vocational trades, including shop and farming.[6]

During the 1920s, housing space for students was found lacking with a shortage of 70 beds. A tent was used as temporary housing and the original dormitory's first floor was remodeled into sleeping quarters. Students, under supervision, helped to construct a 40 ft × 148 ft (12 m × 45 m) dairy barn on the grounds beginning in late 1924. The training school during the 1920s provided their own milk by using a stable of cows; the dairy production also provided for the needs of the Grand Mound girls' school. Green Hill, continuing to field a band, organized an orchestra and pupils were taught music theory.[8]

The school faced severe damages totaling $2 million from the 1949 Olympia earthquake. Two buildings were torn down in the aftermath and two dormitories were declared as condemned. Over 30 boys were sent home, to be recalled back later, due to crowded conditions from the lack of housing at the school.[9]

Despite being a place of incarcerated individuals, the training school initially did not have any fencing or attentive security, allowing students to escape with some ease until the 1970s.[5] Building a security fence became of importance in the late 1950s and early 1960s due to a larger amount of escapes and subsequent increases in crime, particularly auto theft and property damage, caused by the runaways.[10] Attempts to fund and build a security fence were undertaken in 1963. Considered unnecessary by the superintendent of Green Hill at the time, large settlements paid out by the state due to the escapee damages had surpassed the cost of constructing a fence.[11] Though it passed the state Senate, it failed to pass the House by the session deadline.[12][13] With the negative attention on escapes and runaway crimes,[14] the facility, by way of the student council, undertook a public relations tour in Chehalis and Centralia during the early 1970s. Students volunteered on various projects in the Twin Cities, including clearing land during the early stages of the creation of Stan Hedwall Park, repairing damages due to floods at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, and assisting senior citizens in helping to maintain their yards and homes.[15]

The facility undertook the moniker, Green Hill School, and the grounds, listed as 35 acres (14 ha), were officially annexed by the city in 1972.[16]

21st century

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The facility was reassigned under the oversight of the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) in July 2019, part of a statewide transfer of juvenile facilities from the state's Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).[17]

Due to issues with overcrowding, the state temporarily suspended the residency of any newly sentenced juvenile offender to Green Hill in July 2024. With a target capacity of up to 180 incarcerated people, the facility saw an increase of 30% above the threshold in one year, reaching 240 by mid-2024.[18] The rise in population, attributed to the passage of the JR to 25 law, was accompanied by increased violence and other unsafe behaviors, limiting rehabilitation efforts as well as leading to higher risks to support staff.[19][20] Less than a week later, 43 inmates over the age of 21 who had sentences that would continue past the age of 25, were transferred from Green Hill to an adult prison in Shelton, Washington.[21] The 43 men were moved back to Green Hill two weeks later after an order from a Thurston County Superior Court judge, finding that the DCYF was in violation of a settlement agreement requiring the agency to provide advanced notice, attorney representation, and court hearings to residents before being transferred.[22][23]

Governor Jay Inslee visited the school in November 2024 to announce plans to add another youth detention facility in Aberdeen, Washington to ease the overcrowding issue at Green Hill. The governor reiterated the usefulness of the JR to 25 program, citing the increased violence at the site was juvenile in nature and the increased placement of offenders due to rising gun violence.[24]

Audits and lawsuits

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The state guidelines for solitary confinement of juveniles was changed due to a lawsuit brought in 2018 that highlighted excessive use of the punishment at Green Hill. The DCYF implemented policies restricting the use of solitary confinement and provided additional procedures for strip searches, including the application of restraints against refusing inmates.[25]

A 2019 federal audit, part of a mandated 3-year inspection under the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA), found that the facility was out of compliance regarding the proper proportion of employees to residents which led to an increase of sexual abuse and a vulnerability for other safety issues. The report stated that the school is required to have an 8:1 staff to detainee ratio. A following inspection that same year by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (LNI) found no health code violations but advocated for additional inspections for the safety and training of staff.[17]

In 2021, a sexual abuse lawsuit originally filed in 2018 was settled for $2.1 million. The case, brought by 10 former juvenile residents, stem from allegations of a pattern of pervasive abuse occurring at the facility between 1976 and 2008.[26] Additionally in the same year, a guard was convicted of a federal bribery charge after an FBI investigation revealed the employee accepted cash over several years from school residents or their family, in exchange for providing contraband, such as marijuana and cell phones.[27]

An investigation started in 2022 by a combined task force of local and Washington state agencies, known as the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET), began after a teenage resident survived a fentanyl overdose at the school. The JNET was able to seize more than 1,000 pills and it led to drug charges of four people. Hiring practices were augmented after an incident that year when a security officer, who was previously an inmate at Green Hill, was involved in a drive-by shooting with a recently released student. The JNET investigation renewed in 2023 after additional reports of drugs on the campus. During a warrant search, JNET found numerous stores of contraband taken from students going back to 2017, including large amounts of illicit substances and detailed information on illegal transactions.[28][29][30] The warrant and seizures of evidence did not lead to further investigation by the state's Attorney General office, as it was noted that increased security measures, as well as employee screening, for the facility had been installed or implemented.[31] Charges and arraignments stemming from the investigation were brought forth in the county in early 2024, which included several inmates and a staff member.[32]

Due to the investigations, Green Hill staff began in October 2023 to report assault and contraband incidents to the Chehalis Police Department that involved more than three offenders.[33] Total police reports for the year prior were listed as 15, climbing to 74 in 2023, with over 200 incidents reported by the end of 2024.[3]

The 2023 year included filed charges of twelve riots, with an additional eight cases based on the 2022 JNET investigation.[34][35] The largest of the riots included an August standoff with detention staff involving 6 students[36] and a September incident involving nine residents of the school who were arraigned on felony prison riot charges stemming from a fight.[37] Another brawl, also involving nine students, occurred one week later, with a felony riot charge submitted to the Lewis County Superior Court. Of the total riots, two were tied to gang-related activity.[38]

JR to 25

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After the facility became of use as a detention center only for boys, Green Hill was eventually established specifically for older adolescent males.[5] Adult males could be kept at the facilities until the age of 21 but a law, known as JR to 25 and passed in 2018, allowed for males who were incarcerated for crimes made prior to the age of 18 could remain at Green Hill up to the age of 25.[39][34] After passage of JR to 25, Green Hill saw increases in crime, specifically drug and gang related activity, as well as riots. Security on the grounds were improved, with attention to additional staffing, patrols, security equipment and screening, restrictions for visits or to limit aggression, and additional educational opportunities.[40]

Education

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Green Hill School provides vocational training, including courses for automobile maintenance, carpentry, and cosmetology. Beginning in 2019, opportunities for students to earn an associate or bachelor degree were implemented, joining in a partnership with Centralia College the following year that also provides job training.[4] The first associate's degree awarded occurred in 2022 and a group of eleven students were the inaugural recipients of a bachelor's degree in 2024.[41]

A team of seven teenage residents at Green Hill were awarded first prize at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's competition, the National Anti-Fentanyl Awareness Youth Challenge. The award was for the group's song and accompanying video, Dark Road. The video was produced in partnership with The Bridge Music Project, an Olympia non-profit, and the youth group was the only winner that included members living in a juvenile rehabilitation center.[42]

Residency

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As of 2024, the average length of stay for a student was 272 days. Green Hill School has a target goal of no more than 150 residents at any one time[19] and considers an occupancy above 180 to be unsafe.[3]

School site and funding

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Funding

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The academics of Green Hill School is overseen by the Chehalis School District but full funding is provided by the state of Washington.[43]

As of 2024, additional funds are raised by charging parents or guardians of incarcerated students a fee. The monies are used to cover incarceration and treatment costs. Known as "parent pay", the fee requirement has existed since 1977 and is an additional monetary requirement above restitution. Despite the DCYF rejecting the need for the system based on concerns of poverty and the program disproportionally affecting people of color, the policy remains in effect.[44]

Grounds

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Green Hill School grounds, 2023

The school grounds include the Lewis County Juvenile Court Administration and courthouse. Directed by a county approved contract of $7.2 million, the administration buildings, including an additional courtroom and outdoor recreation areas, were remodeled and enlarged in 2023.[45]

Students have access to a center on the grounds that provides a wide variety of physical, mental, and emotional health activities. Known as the Green Hill School Recreation and Wellness Center, the zero-energy building is landscaped with rain gardens and consists of gyms, a covered sports area, a swimming pool, and an indoor multi-use room.[4][46]

Notable residents

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Notes

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  1. ^ Recollections of the year that the name was changed vary as either 1907 or 1915. See sources listed.

References

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  1. ^ Murphy, Patricia (July 17, 2017). "When people in charge are mostly white, what's a black kid in jail to think?". KUOW.org. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  2. ^ Ingalls, Chris (February 4, 2020). "Riot highlights ongoing safety problems at Washington juvenile lockup". King 5 News (Seattle, Washington). Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Girgis, Lauren (December 13, 2024). "2 more WA youth detention center staffers accused of misconduct". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Roland, Mitchell (April 8, 2024). "'We believe in second chances': Green Hill staff members focus on rehabilitation". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Ott, Jennifer. "Washington State Reform School opens in Chehalis on June 10, 1891". HistoryLink.
  6. ^ a b Meeker, Ezra (1921). Seventy Years of Progress in Washington. Allstrum Printing Company. p. 106. ISBN 9780722247372. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  7. ^ "Minstrel Show Wednesday". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. March 21, 1912. p. 4. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  8. ^ "State Training School Gets A Large Modern Dairy Barn". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget. December 5, 1924. p. 1. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  9. ^ Jones, Pat (February 17, 2007). "1949 Was Earth-Shaking, Heart-Breaking Time Here". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  10. ^ Koenninger, Tom (February 9, 1963). "Legislators Propose Fence For Green Hill". The Daily Chronicle. p. 1. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  11. ^ "'No Waste' - Green Hill Fence Upheld". The Daily Chronicle. February 16, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  12. ^ "Senate Votes Fence For Green Hill School". The Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. March 8, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  13. ^ "Green Hill - Bill To Fence State School Said Dead". The Daily Chronicle. March 14, 1963. p. 1.
  14. ^ "Green Hill escape rate declining, official learns". The Daily Chronicle. October 25, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  15. ^ "Youths pitch in at park site". The Daily Chronicle. August 19, 1972. p. 7. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  16. ^ The Chronicle staff (September 9, 1972). "Proposed annexation to Chehalis is largest in city's history". The Daily Chronicle. p. 9. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Ingalls, Chris (August 8, 2019). "'Significant staff shortages' pose dangers at Washington's juvenile lock-up, audit says". KING 5 News (Seattle, Washington). Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  18. ^ Lauren Girgis; Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks (August 5, 2024). "Washington transfers 43 men from adult prison back to juvenile detention". The Chronicle. The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Cornwell, Paige (July 7, 2024). "WA suspends taking in sentenced youth at two detention centers". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  20. ^ Roland, Mitchell (July 8, 2024). "State suspends entries at Green Hill School; move 'wholly unacceptable,' according to Association of Police Chiefs". The Chronicle. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  21. ^ Girgis, Lauren (July 12, 2024). "'Unprecedented': WA transfers 43 men in juvenile detention to adult prison". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  22. ^ Girgis, Lauren (July 19, 2024). "WA judge orders state to bring 43 men back to juvenile detention". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  23. ^ Mikkelsen, Drew (July 26, 2024). "DCYF violated state policy when transferring 43 young men from juvenile to adult jails, judge rules". King 5 News (Seattle). Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  24. ^ Girgis, Lauren (November 25, 2024). "Inslee announces plan for new youth detention center to ease overcrowding". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  25. ^ Gilbert, L.B. (July 29, 2022). "WA juvenile detention reforms solitary confinement practices upon settling lawsuit". MYNorthwest News. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  26. ^ "State settles Chehalis juvenile facility sex abuse lawsuit for $2.1M". FOX 13 News (Seattle). Associated Press. September 11, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  27. ^ "Ex-detention center guard pleads guilty to taking bribes". Associated Press. July 6, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  28. ^ "Search warrant served as part of drug investigation at Chehalis juvenile detention center". KING 5 News (Seattle). September 7, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  29. ^ The Chronicle staff (September 7, 2023). "JNET serves warrant, seizes evidence at Green Hill School after reports narcotics were distributed by staff member, overdoses not reported". The Chronicle. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  30. ^ Ingalls, Chris (November 3, 2023). "Drugs and contraband were found inside Green Hill School. Why didn't administrators tell police?". KING 5 News (Seattle, Washington). Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  31. ^ Roland, Mitchell (November 6, 2023). "Sen. Braun calls for additional investigation into Green Hill School in Chehalis". The Chronicle. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  32. ^ Fitzgerald, Emily (February 2, 2024). "More Green Hill School inmates charged for alleged contraband possession between 2021 and 2023". The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington). Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  33. ^ Fitzgerald, Emily (November 26, 2024). "Possession of contraband and weapons, custodial assault, prison riot charges filed against Green Hill School inmates". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  34. ^ a b Roland, Mitchell (February 9, 2024). "Sen. Braun again asks Gov. Inslee to investigate Green Hill School in new letter". The Chronicle. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  35. ^ Fitzgerald, Emily (February 16, 2024). "Additional charges stemming from November, December prison riots at Green Hill School filed". The Chronicle. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  36. ^ Fitzgerald, Emily (October 10, 2023). "Six Green Hill inmates charged with participating in a prison riot after 'standoff' last August". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  37. ^ Fitzgerald, Emily (December 5, 2023). "Nine Green Hill School inmates face prison riot charges". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  38. ^ Fitzgerald, Emily (December 12, 2023). "Nine Green Hill School inmates face prison riot charges for Sept. 18 incident". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  39. ^ Ingalls, Chris (February 9, 2024). "State leader calls for investigation of Green Hill School after latest KING 5 report". King 5 News (Seattle, Washington). Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  40. ^ Roland, Mitchell (February 23, 2024). "In letter to Braun, Gov. Inslee says Green Hill School has implemented security improvements". The Chronicle. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  41. ^ Fitzgerald, Emily (June 19, 2024). "Green Hill School celebrates graduation of its first bachelor's degree recipients". The Chronicle. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  42. ^ Fitzgerald, Emily (May 22, 2024). "Music video produced by youth at Green Hill School wins national anti-fentanyl youth challenge". The Chronicle. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  43. ^ The Chronicle staff (February 13, 2024). "Election night tally indicates Chehalis School District's levy proposal will likely pass". The Chronicle. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  44. ^ Rowe, Claudia (February 10, 2022). "WA officials want to end fees charged to parents for kids' jail time". Crosscut (Cascade PBS). Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  45. ^ Vander Stoep, Isabel (March 24, 2023). "Lewis County Cuts Ribbon on New Juvenile Courthouse at Green Hill School". The Chronicle. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  46. ^ "Green Hill School Recreation and Wellness Center". AIA WA Council. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  47. ^ Robinson, Erik (May 26, 1994). "Convicted killer was once incarcerated in Chehalis youth detention facility". The Chronicle. pp. A1–A2. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  48. ^ Kersten, Jason (July 12, 2010). "The Airplane Thief". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  49. ^ "Further Arrests In Kidnaping Loom". Times-News (Hendersonville, North Carolina). June 10, 1935. pp. 1–2. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
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