Spofford Juvenile Center

As construction boomed nationally in the postwar era, New York City made large-scale investments in its public service infrastructure. In 1957, due to overcrowding, and a detention capacity of only 105 beds at East 12th Street, Youth House moved to more spacious facilities. Its new location, in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx, was comprised of two separate buildings; one for boys and one for girls.

The boys' detention house, built atop a hill at 1221 Spofford Avenue, had an initial capacity of 239 beds. The girls' institution, at 765 Manida Street, accommodated 125 girls. Over time, the boys' facility became known as Spofford Youth House, and then Spofford Juvenile Center. The girls' facility was known as Manida Juvenile Center. The facilities were at first operated by Youth House Board Incorporated, a non-profit group. This would be the first of several organizations to operate Spofford.

Throughout its first 20 years of operation, Spofford was the focus of criticism and controversy. For a variety of reasons, ranging from administrative failures and staff abuses, to the physical limitations of the building, it became known as a place that exacerbated the problems of juvenile delinquents. Spofford was also known for its frequent escapes. Between 1976 and 1978, there were 202 escapes. In 1967, the City turned control of Spofford over to the Department of Probation, and then in 1971 to the Human Resources Administration.

Non-Secure Detention was created that same year as a group home environment for children with less serious violations. At the same time, the Stone Report recommended the creation of the Department of Juvenile Justice. The Agency, formed in 1979, was charged with coordinating detention for the City's youth, with the hope that clear and singular responsibility would prevent the reoccurrence of past problems.

In 1978, the New York State Legislature passed the Juvenile Offender Act. Previously, all young offenders were treated as Juvenile Delinquents (JDs). But the 1978 legislation created a new category, the Juvenile Offender (JO), who, while charged as an adult, had to be housed with juveniles. In this environment, the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) was created as a means of providing youth with a chance to reform themselves, while concurrently holding them accountable for their actions.

When DJJ was created and given responsibility for the juveniles in detention, the Agency was allowed a Commissioner and up to two Deputy Commissioners. Managerial responsibilities were divided into three categories: the operation of Spofford, Non-Secure Detention (NSD), and administration (which included community-based programs). The Director of Spofford managed the facility on a daily basis. The Administration division was responsible for the Agency's budget, financial and programmatic planning, and, eventually, Community Based-Interventions (CBI). The Director of NSD was responsible for the Beach Avenue Group Home and oversight of independently contracted community-based homes.

The fledgling agency was immediately confronted with two sets of issues which cast Spofford in a negative public light: childcare and facility needs. To enhance its image, the Agency's first Commissioner, Paul Strasburg, made safety for the public, the staff, and the residents, a priority. At the same time, the Agency embraced detention as an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people, an affirmation of juvenile justice's reform roots. Emphasis was placed on education, medical services and managing the dormitory living areas. Residents began to receive educational assessments and DJJ began operating its own state approved school, the Carter G. Woodson Academy.

Administrative improvements, however, could not stem the tide of Spofford's physical deterioration. Its' size, remote location, long narrow hallways, and lack of adequate lighting, remained a source of criticism. Moreover, the facility's reputation for trouble was hard to overcome; people expected the worst of Spofford. As a result, replacing it with smaller, less institutional facilities, in a more accessible location, became an immediate priority. [http://www.nyc.gov]

Spofford Juvenile Center was the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice's (DJJ) only Secure Detention center until August 1st 1998, when it was vacated by the DJJ. It was located in the Bronx borough of New York City. On January 18, 1998, the Horizon Juvenile Center, in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx, and the Crossroads Juvenile Center, in Brownsville, Brooklyn, were both opened to fill the void left by the shuttering of the Spofford facility. [ [http://www.nyc.gov/html/djj/html/secure.html Department Of Juvenile Justice ] ]

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