This problem has been festering for decades. Elected officials who have ignored it will need to clean house as swiftly as possible, closing down the worst institutions and ensuring that children in custody are protected from abuse in compliance with federal law.

Unfortunately, the problem is not isolated to New York.  This is a nationwide issue and the sooner elected officials understand that neglecting the residents of these institutions hurts us all, the better. Warehousing troubled children with each other under deplorable conditions with no evidence-based therapeutic services can no longer be acceptable, and we need to demand change from our elected officials.  Not only do the individual children suffer under such circumstances, but upon release, they bring their pent-up anger, mental illnesses and lack of development and proper education back into society. It is time that everyone demand the delivery of superior care and services and improved living conditions for incarcerated youth in every state across America.  The cost of not doing so is simply too great on every level.