A riot broke out during a boxing match at Philadelphia’s juvenile detention center. Now it’s on a provisional license
State officials cited a riot that broke out at the center in January, sending some kids to the hospital and endangering others.
State regulators revoked the license of Philadelphia’s juvenile detention facility this week — reissuing it on a provisional basis only — after a riot broke out during a boxing event there in January, endangering children, officials said.
The state Department of Human Services cited multiple violations at the Juvenile Justice Services Center in West Philadelphia, including the “systemic” and improper use of restraints and restrictive procedures to punish children.
Several teens were injured in the riot, and one or more required treatment at a hospital emergency department, according to the licensing documents. The regulators also found that the facility staff failed to report suspected child abuse.
The Philadelphia Department of Human Services’ leadership rejected the state’s findings — denying that children were placed in improper restraints — and disputed the state’s conclusion that there had been a breakdown in leadership, policy, and procedure.
