Sen. Leonard Christian, R-Spokane Valley (right) and Senate Republican Leader John Braun were among policymakers this week who toured Green Hill School in Chehalis, a focal point for concerns about juvenile rehabilitation.

OLYMPIA – Crowded conditions at Washington’s juvenile rehabilitation facilities demonstrate the failure of a policy designed to keep juvenile offenders out of adult prisons until age 25, says Sen. Leonard Christian, R-Spokane Valley.

Christian, the ranking Republican on the Senate Human Services Committee, toured the state’s largest secure facility for juvenile offenders Wednesday and got a first-hand look at the conditions that have turned Green Hill School into a powderkeg of violence and chaos.

“The idea was that juvenile offenders would benefit from an atmosphere that puts greater emphasis on rehabilitation,” Christian explained. “Unfortunately, the advocates for this policy weren’t thinking about what this would do to headcounts at our juvenile facilities. Rehabilitation has become an afterthought because offenders are wedged in there like sardines.”

Rising levels of violence at the Chehalis facility, escape attempts and the smuggling of drugs and other contraband have turned juvenile rehabilitation into a major issue for the 2025 legislative session. Christian is one of several lawmakers this year who have introduced legislation to advance the reform effort.

Christian requested the tour of Green Hill because he wanted to see conditions for himself. He was joined by lawmakers and other policymakers, including representatives of the governor’s office and the Department of Children, Youth and Families, which oversees juvenile rehabilitation programs.

“I was impressed by the attitude of the staff and their determination to make a difference in young people’s lives despite the pressures they face,” Christian said. “But they are fighting an uphill battle because of the state’s failure to plan for the larger and more troublesome populations that would be housed at our juvenile facilities.”

As a result of the policy, Green Hill, one of two state-run facilities housing juvenile offenders, has a population that is older, more violent and more in need of supervisions. It was built for an ideal population of about 150, and a maximum population of about 180. But last month the average headcount was 243, forcing double-bunking in small cells without toilet facilities. Staffing also has become a problem as the state has paid out $4.5 million since 2018 to settle claims of sex abuse.

During the visit, staff told Christian and other policymakers that conditions have seriously deteriorated over the last two years.

Remedies under consideration by lawmakers this year include former Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposal for a new juvenile rehabilitation facility to be co-located with the Department of Corrections’ prison complex at Stafford Creek near Aberdeen. Senate Republicans this year are advancing a full slate of reform proposals, including legislation introduced by Senate Republican leader John Braun that would rescind the “JR to 25” policy, require body cameras for staff and institute policies to prevent overcrowding. Other Republican proposals would reduce the population by sending the most violent offenders to adult prison at age 18.

Christian maintains that bringing order to the state’s juvenile facilities will require a shift in thinking. Juvenile rehabilitation programs should be viewed not as a right but as a privilege for those who want to change their lives, he says.

Christian’s proposals include:

• SB 5255, allowing juveniles to be detained pending disposition of their cases when they are alleged to have committed crimes involving firearms or stolen vehicles.
• SB 5256, requiring the Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board to consider the testimony of crime victims in determining whether offenders have complied with “restorative justice” requirements.
• SB 5257, stiffening sentences for juvenile gun crimes, and
• SB 5260, the Youth Rehabilitation Pathways Act, permitting offenders sentenced to juvenile facilities between ages 18 and 25 to request transfer to Department of Corrections facilities.