Audit: OYA transition help for young women falling short

An audit released Thursday by the office of Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins finds that transition services for female youth in state custody lag behind those available to males.

While a transition program for young women currently exists as a pilot program, funding for the female-centered services are only allocated through mid-2017 and the program’s future is in question if additional resources are not secured, they noted

“The Oregon Youth Authority currently runs three transition programs for males, but does not have a permanent, standalone transition program for females,” said Atkins. “This is a problem.

“Females have unique treatment needs that require a greater focus on mental and physical health and the treatment of sexual, physical, and emotional trauma. These distinct needs must be recognized and accommodated as the OYA prepares young women for adulthood.”

OYA has a dedicated building for a female transition program, but has been unable to secure funding to run the full program and the building has not been used for its intended purpose since its construction in 2010.

Instead, OYA operates a transition pilot program that is limited in capacity and has a wait list for interested participants. Meanwhile, several transition services provided by community partners, including Rosemont, Pettygrove, and Lithia Springs, have closed since August 2014.

The loss of these three contractors has resulted in OYA losing a total of 30 gender-specific program spots for females and resulted in a direct rise in the population of female offenders at OYA.

Thursday’s audit also found that, despite improvements, program reporting from OYA and Oregon counties is still inconsistent and incomplete. Without an accurate picture of program participation, it is difficult to evaluate or forecast service needs for the juvenile justice system.

“OYA and its county partners will need to work together to identify and resolve barriers to program reporting and ensure consistency,” said Atkins. “This information will allow us to improve programs to better help Oregon kids and young adults in the juvenile justice system.”

Oregon’s juvenile justice system relies on collaboration between the Oregon Youth Authority and 36 county juvenile departments, who coordinate efforts with each other and numerous other state and local agencies and nonprofits to serve some of the state’s most vulnerable youth.

The majority of youth offenders in the state access services at the county level through county juvenile departments. The Oregon Youth Authority supervises the state’s most delinquent youth and has received more than ten audits or management reviews by the Oregon Audits Division since 1997.