YDDC breach let boy in adult's cell

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - KRQE News 13 has uncovered yet another security breakdown at the state's juvenile lockup that recently allowed an adult inmate to sneak a 15-year-old boy into his cell for the night.

Technically that's another escape at the Youth Diagnostic and Development Center on Edith Boulevard NE in Albuquerque.

The state Children, Youth and Families Department refuses to release its report on the incident. However a copy obtained by News 13 describes a 19-year-old male sneaking the boy into his cell on Saturday June 21.

The two boys spent the night together unchaperoned in a locked room with one bed. Guards didn't know about it until the following morning--10 hours later--even though guards are supposed to perform bed checks every 15 minutes.

News 13 has been told that one of the inmates used the old trick of taking laundry, blankets and a pillow and stuffing them beneath the sheets to make it look like someone was sleeping there.

The report cited the older inmate for violating a rule against sex acts.

The criminal record of the 19-year-old shows that on 26 occasions in two years he's been written up for beating up other inmates and attempting to beat up guards.  He's also been written up for gang activities and initiations.

"This is just another example of another problems that we have at YDDC," state Rep. Al Park, D-Albuquerque, said.   Park, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, was referring to the March escape of four inmates from the lockup and the April riot where 35 inmates went at it for several minutes before guards brought it under control.

Park supports the state's new focus on rehabilitation while moving away from crackdowns and punishment. However he called the 15-year-old's overnight stay in an older kid's room a setback.

"This isn't a pass-the-buck situation," Park said. "It's everybody from the secretary all the way down to the guards who did the count. Everybody is accountable."

Even though CYFD refused to release the incident report, spokesperson Romaine Serna confirmed the incident happened.

"We will implement measures necessary to hold staff accountable," Serna said in an e-mail response.

Serna also wrote that "a medical review confirmed no inappropriate physical contact or drug use" although she did not explain how such an exam could rule out all forms of sexual contact.

Nor is anyone at CYFD saying why an older inmate with a history of violence might want a younger one to spend a night in his room.

CYFD has refused two requests from News 13 for records about this and other incidents. State law would seem to consider the records as public, and News 13 continues to press for their release.