Confinement to their room for up to 15 hours a day, periods of isolation “for no reason”, silence when traveling, lack or even deprivation of food in certain cases: a report from the Public Protector reveals “questionable practices” governing daily life adolescents housed in a youth center in Lévis.
The Québec Ombudsman intervened following a report of “concerning practices” concerning the Le Boisé unit of the Protection and Rehabilitation Center for young people with adjustment difficulties – commonly known as the youth center – in Lévis.
This is a secure unit that accommodates adolescents aged 12 to 17. Young people in accommodation are subject to a legal measure under the Act respecting the youth criminal justice system or to an intensive supervision measure.
Le Boisé does not always provide the care and services that promote rehabilitation, concludes the Québec Ombudsman, Me Marc-André Dowd. In his 19-page report, Me Dowd feels the need to remind the CISSS that the youth centre is not a “prison environment,” but rather a health facility.
In his report, Me Dowd insists that he is “concerned by the rigidity of the framework exercised”. Teenagers are confined to their rooms for up to 15 hours a day, he found.
Elsewhere in Quebec, in centers with the same criminal clientele requiring a high intensity of supervision, young people do not spend as much time in their rooms, reveals Mr. Dowd.
The Protector also reminds the CISSS that adolescents must… “eat their fill”. In fact, he noted an “insufficiency of food” for the young people housed in this unit. He also discovered that in some cases, punitive measures involving food were taking place in the establishment, even speaking of “deprivation” – measures which “have no place in a rehabilitation center”, recalls- he.
Same thing for access to “capless” water bottles which is considered a privilege in the security unit. “I have a lot of difficulty considering hydration as a privilege,” added Me Dowd in an interview with La Presse on Thursday, when his report was made public.
Mold was also found in the showers. “In the toilet block, lighting is poor and ventilation is absent,” the report states. The CISSS recognized this problem and committed to carrying out renovations next fall.
That’s not all, the teenagers housed almost never went out into the outside courtyard, in addition to having to move around in silence. During the Public Protector’s investigation, the establishment corrected the situation and added two mandatory 15-minute outings per day.
“When we know that adults in prison are entitled to one hour of release per day outside,” emphasizes Mr. Dowd, this correction seems essential, but minimal. He felt that the center “trivialized” the importance of getting fresh air for its teenage clientele.
In an interview with La Presse, the CISSS wishes to “qualify” certain conclusions of the report, although it assures that it takes the situation “seriously”.
“I also spend the night in my room,” illustrates the manager.
For his part, the Public Protector persists and signs: the young people’s rooms are locked, which prevents them from being able to leave at night. It is therefore indeed “isolation” within the meaning of the law, no offense to the local youth protection department, he says.
Regarding the fact that young people do not have enough to eat, “it is not true that we are depriving them of food,” reacts Ms. Brown of the CISSS. This is a “supply” problem since the food is prepared “outside” – in a hospital – and then delivered to the center. It happened that the young people lacked food, admits the manager. But the staff then left him the portions intended for him, “just so that they could eat their fill”, and he “had fast food brought in”.
The workers were eating their fast food meals in front of the young people. The Québec Ombudsman believes that this shows an “appearance of a lack of sensitivity” towards the young people being accommodated. This practice will stop, assures Ms. Brown of the CISSS de Chaudière-Appalaches.
In his report, the Québec Ombudsman examines at length the control measures exercised over young people in care, noting that staff do not always follow established provincial standards.
“In fact, let us remember that young people cannot leave their rooms freely without first ringing the console during the day. […] If a young person fails to do so, he is quickly redirected and the staff reminds him of the instructions. This is therefore true isolation within the meaning of Law 10,” specifies the Public Protector.
Furthermore, the forms that must be completed in order to record information on the use of control measures are not always completed, the Public Protector discovered. This may seem “bureaucratic”, but this tool is “essential to ensure that the rights of young people are respected”, insists Me Dowd in an interview.
La Presse revealed last month that the isolation and restraint of young people housed in rehabilitation centers and group homes are on the rise in most regions of Quebec even though they are supposed to remain exceptional measures.
In total, the Public Protector made 11 recommendations to the CISSS – all accepted by the latter – which mainly aim to ensure respect for the rights of young people in care and to refocus interventions on their rehabilitation.