Pubdate: Fri, 03 May 2002
Source: Hartford Courant (CT)
Copyright: 2002 The Hartford Courant
Contact:  http://www.ctnow.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/183
Author: Colin Poitras

DCF FEELS HEAT IN DRUG INCIDENT

MIDDLETOWN -- State officials are investigating how 8 grams of cocaine were 
smuggled into the new Connecticut Juvenile Training School and why the 
staff failed to notify police for two days.

It is the latest blow to the state Department of Children and Families, 
which runs the school for boys 10-16 convicted of crimes.

A staff member searching for a pair of missing gardening shears on April 22 
discovered a glassine package of cocaine taped to the underside of a 
bathroom sink in one of the school's housing units, authorities said Thursday.

Rather than call police, the staff member left the drugs on a supervisor's 
desk for more than a day, authorities said.

The package was finally turned over to school police officers on April 24, 
and every youth living at the 240-bed school was then strip-searched and 
every building thoroughly searched, state officials said. No more drugs 
were found and no one was arrested.

DCF policy requires that staff call police immediately when they find 
contraband such as weapons or drugs. Training school police officers have 
full investigative authority and powers of arrest.

"It should have been followed up that day," DCF Deputy Commissioner Thomas 
Gilman said.

News of the apparent mishandling of the drugs came a day after DCF was 
blasted by a state panel for failing to protect a 6-month-old Bridgeport 
infant who died of shaken baby syndrome last October. The state's Child 
Fatality Review Panel released a scathing report Wednesday blaming DCF for 
failing to properly monitor, supervise and coordinate court-ordered 
services for Ezramicah Hilliard Jr.'s parents before his death.

The panel said it was the third time in four years that sloppy work by DCF 
was apparent before the death of child occurred, leading some state 
lawmakers to question whether a shakeup of the agency is warranted.

The drug incident is also the latest in a series of problems that have 
plagued the $57 million school since it opened last summer.

State Child Advocate Jeanne Milstein, when told about the drug discovery, 
said she is going to look into the matter "immediately."

Milstein's staff is monitoring conditions inside the school in light of 
other complaints, including allegations of children inappropriately being 
placed in shackles and restraints.

It was unclear Thursday whether the drugs were smuggled into the school by 
a staff member or one of the boys. Several boys in the housing unit where 
the narcotics were found have substance abuse problems, sources inside the 
school said. And several boys in the unit are allowed to go home on 
weekends as part of their privileges.

Gilman said he believes school staff members were not searched after the 
drugs were found. He said the school has policy of strip-searching all 
youths upon their return from weekend visits, and any contraband should be 
discovered then.

But sources inside the school said Thursday that not all staff members 
follow the strict strip-search policy and that some children have only been 
frisked when returning from weekend passes, and sometimes not searched at all.

Gilman said he had no knowledge of staff failing to search youths at the 
school.

Sources inside the school, who declined to be identified for fear of 
retribution, also said that after the drugs were found, some youths at the 
facility were randomly strip-searched before a schoolwide search took 
place. Gilman said he had no knowledge of that taking place.

Sgt. J. Paul Vance, a spokesman for the Connecticut State Police, which 
usually investigates major crimes inside state facilities, said the local 
state police barracks was not notified of any drugs or thefts at the school.
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