KRQE viewers respond to YDDC, Barker

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The KRQE News 13 story prompting the most feedback this week was our ongoing investigation of the troubles at YDDC, Albuquerque's state-run juvenile corrections center.

Our investigation showed that when Superintendent Bruce Langston tried to crack down on the most violent offenders, his bosses overruled him . Then when the trouble he predicted broke out in the form of a jailbreak and brawl, CFYD Secretary Dorian Dodson relieved him of command. On Thursday night (5/7) we finally heard from Langston himself, along with Juvenile Justice Coalition chairman David Schmidt. We also got our hands on 75 minutes of security video showing the April inmate brawl from 3 different camera angles.

Viewer feedback received so far via e-mail and posted online has been mostly, but not unanimously, critical of the way the state has handled this situation.

From "Anonymous1":

"This is a whole new breed of uncaring violent youth. These kids have no regard for the welfare and safety of themselves let alone people who are here to help them and their peers. The use of the word 'predatory' may be harsh to some but let me tell you it is dead on accurate. These kids are master manipulators. They prey on the weak. Its as simple as that."

From "Bobbybaby":

"YDDC has become an adult institution with over 80% of its population 17 or older. With Youthful Offenders sent there up until the age of 21 it no longer can be a facility for kids. The system needs to catch up to the population it is given."

From "Da Truth":

"Yes treatment and rehabilitation is needed for our young people who want it but there has to be security and structure set in place for it to actually work. Let's not forget that it has taken these clients several times of breaking the law or committing a violent offense to get in a place like that, then they come to these facilities and are pretty much handed everything they want, not forced to work their treatment and not required to show staff or their peers respect."

From "Anonymous":

"These are not petty criminals in this facility, these are offenders that are as violent as the adult prisoners in the state facilities are. The hug a thug comment is very dead on accurate.... All that CYFD is doing is allowing the juvenile criminals the chance to repeat crime after crime. We can no longer pat their little bottoms and say it will be okay after they have just killed someone."

"Bubba" takes a different view, clearly not buying Langston's story, or KRQE's coverage:

"This guy Langston was the person in charge of the facility when the 'brawl' happened yet he accepts no responsibility! Where was he when it happened, on leave, training, making a doughnut run? If he was at the facility and not at the all hands gathering it sounds to me like he was not doing his job. How can Langston be 'thrown under the bus' when he was the one driving?.... Instead of sniveling and blaming his inadequacies on others maybe he should 'man-up' and either do the job correctly or step aside. Also, it sounded to me like Mr. Schmidt believes Langston is a relic from the adult corrections system that did not make the transition very good. Too bad KRQE does not balance the reporting on this topic!"

In point of fact, Mr. Schmidt is no fan of Langston's and our inclusion of his interview was intended to bring a counterbalancing viewpoint to our coverage. However, the coverage would be even more balanced if CYFD would agree to tell more of its side of the story, and explain in greater detail why it feels the policies it's adopted best serve the public interest. Toward that end, News 13 is trying hard to convince CYFD Secretary Dorian Dodson to meet with us for an on camera interview. We are hopeful those efforts will yet succeed.

YDDC spokeswoman Romaine Serna has been very helpful in our pursuit of information in this story on behalf of our viewers. She was not happy with Thursday night's story, though. She told us she thought our editing cut her answer to a key question about safety a bit short. Serna told us the full answer to our question is that while the April brawl clearly was dangerous, the facility has put new measures in place to preserve safety, including a lockdown of some inmates. And she points out that staffers have received rigorous training to help them handle any threat that arises. As part of News 13's Viewer Advocacy philosophy, it's important to us that those we cover feel we've treated them fairly. We regret that we didn't measure up in that regard in Ms. Serna's eyes Thursday night, particularly given her open and cooperative approach. We're setting the record straight here, and on tonight's 10pm newscast.

Also this week, we received a bit of feedback on Larry Barker's investigation into how the state is issuing drivers' licenses. Larry's story showed how some 1,500 foreign nationals have been able to lie and cheat their way to perfectly legal licenses, using forged documentation.

Jim & Lori Pfannes of Guadalupita