YLC Quoted in Article Re: Outdoor Recreation at the JJ Center
The New York Times published a Bay Citizen report in which YLC Staff Attorney Sue Burrell was interviewed about alleged deficiencies in outdoor recreation time at San Francisco’s Juvenile Justice Center. According to complaints to the juvenile justice commission, there have been serious gaps in outdoor recreation since the new facility opened in 2006. Disturbingly, these deficiencies have not been noted in state audits of the facility. State law requires at least one hour of outdoor recreation per day, and the facility boasts having basketball and volleyball courts, a kickball diamond and a soccer field with grass. The head of juvenile probation said that providing adequate coverage for the outdoor area would require overtime staffing. Sue commented that outdoor recreation time is important for youth because they are so deprived of natural light, and being in custody often leads to depression.