September 24, 2003                                                         Contact:  Michael Winder
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      (605) 773-3478

Changes Implemented in State's Juvenile Corrections Programs

(Pierre) - South Dakota's juvenile corrections programs are implementing changes to improve effectiveness and to emphasize individualized treatment, progress reports and community reintegration services for youth.      

The changes include some facilities being renamed, programs revising their missions and the re-assigning of staff duties to address quality assurance issues.  

"The changes are reflective of Governor Rounds' vision for juvenile corrections," said Tim Reisch, Secretary of Corrections. "He is absolutely committed to providing the highest quality of care for all youth committed to us."  

Among the facility name and programmatic changes: 

The Custer Youth Corrections Center (CYCC) will be renamed the State Treatment and Rehabilitation Academy for Youth, or STAR Academy for Youth. The CYCC campus is made up of the Patrick Henry Boot Camp and Living Center A and B Programs for males and the QUEST (Quality Education Services and Treatment) and ExCEL (Excellence in Counseling, Education and Lifeskills) programs for girls.  

The Patrick Henry Brady Boot Camp will be renamed the Patrick Henry Brady Academy.
Programmatic changes include increasing the emphasis on individualized treatment, family counseling and transitional services back into the community while decreasing the emphasis on the induction and the first phase of the program. The Brady Academy will maintain the use of military terminology, discipline and structure.  However, more emphasis will be placed on wellness and adventure training program components. Staff and youth clothing will also be changed to reflect an academy setting. The Brady Boot Camp opened in 1996 and is named for Patrick Henry Brady, a Medal of Honor winner from Philip, SD.

The Living Center A (LCA) program will be renamed the Youth Challenge Center. The LCA program is a correctional placement program for males that evolved from the Youth Forestry Camp (YFC) which was first established in Custer State Park in 1966. A residential community program known as Living Center B (LCB) will remain in place and will be known as The Living Center.  Youth assigned to LCB have greater access to the community and can attend school and work in the Custer area.       

The Custer Intake Center (CIC) for boys will be renamed the STAR Academy Intake and Holding Center.
An existing staff member has been assigned new quality assurance duties to monitor a variety of areas including policy review and adherence, records management, Performance Based Standards (PbS), the American College of Sports Medicine process, fire, safety and sanitation inspections and serve as a liaison with the health staff. The Quality Assurance Specialist will report directly to the Director of Juvenile Services.

A Youth Treatment Director position will be added to the Brady Academy to ensure consistency of the treatment component of the program.  Their duties will include developing and providing individualized treatment plans, reviewing monthly progress reports and developing reintegration and transition plans as well as family component for youth in the program.

"The staff changes will come without an increase in full-time employees and with limited impact on the budget," says Doug Herrmann, Director of Juvenile Services.  "The changes in staff positions will allow us to improve the quality of care for youth and improve the effectiveness of the organization while maintaining our budget."      

All of the facility and program changes will take effect immediately.

No facility or programmatic changes are planned for either the ExCEL Program or the QUEST Program for girls.  Both girls programs are group homes licensed by the Department of Social Services and are located in Custer State Park, at the site of the former Youth Forestry Camp.  

Note:  Audio clips from Doug Herrmann on the Boot Camp changes and the staffing changes and from Tim Reisch on the Governor’s vision are being made available. Click here to listen.

If you need a digital photo of either Tim or Doug for your story, please contact the DOC Administration office at 605-773-3478 and they will arrange to e-mail the photos to you.