Some young offenders hate the province’s only secure care facility so much, they’d rather be in juvie.
Nova Scotia legal aid attorney Paul Sheppard says at a hearing last month, one of his clients being held at the Waterville youth jail was offered a deal: sign a form promising good behaviour and go free.
But the teenager is refusing to sign the document because she believes once she leaves jail, her social worker will apply to send her to Wood Street.
“One of the core pieces of my job is to protect my clients’ liberty,” Sheppard says. “It seems clear they have more liberty in Waterville.”
Wood Street Secure Care in Truro is the highest level of treatment for youth under the care of the department of Community Services or Mi’kmaw Family and Children’s Services. It’s where the province sends some of the most vulnerable children and teenagers in its care, in hopes of alleviating emotional and behavioural disorders while confined to close observation.
The stay is to be therapeutic, not punitive.
But a former attendee says the facility is “more rough” and “strict” than the time he has spent in youth jail. One example: kids are forbidden from having private conversations with their peers while at Wood Street and discouraged from talking about their lives on the outside.
Attorney Nicole Mahoney, who represents kids fighting against being sent to Wood Street, says the surveillance and conversation control makes it difficult to heal.
“Their every move is observed and recorded,” says Mahoney. “This does not seem like a therapeutic environment to me.”
According to provincial spokesperson Wendy Bungay, the conversations are monitored for the youths’ “safety and the safety of others.”
Kids spend much of their day in school classes and group programs built around behavioural therapy, anger management and positive thinking. The former attendee who spoke with The Coast said he also got “individual programming” worksheets to fill out.
Bungay says Wood Street also has a social worker and a clinical director (who can be either a social worker or psychologist). But the lawyers worry their clients don’t get adequate therapy while on site unless they already have a private counsellor from outside. A psychiatrist only visits the centre twice monthly, though a job posting for a clinical psychologist position at Wood Street closes this week.
“I think it would make me feel a lot better if I knew there was actually treatment happening by somebody qualified to help these kids,” says Sheppard.
Fewer than two percent of kids in provincial care go to Wood Street, and only if they’re considered a “danger” to themselves or others, says Bungay, or aren’t able to “self-regulate.” A secure care order must be approved by a judge within five days for a youth to remain there. Stays are up to 45 days, although they can be extended.
As many as 140 kids pass through the 20-bed facility each year. Most are between the ages of 12 and 18, though the province says some may be younger than 12 depending on circumstances.
Repeatedly running away from a group home, using drugs, or “placing themselves in circumstances where they may be physically or sexually assaulted” can all lead to ending up in the secure facility, says Bungay.
Youth in the facility get “child-specific” treatment that helps them change those behaviours, says the spokesperson. Comparing Wood Street to Waterville, she says, is like comparing “apples and cantaloupes.” The two facilities serve “very different populations.”
But for those who’ve seen both from the inside, the distinction is a petty one. Both institutions have school classes on site, group therapy programs and barren isolation rooms. The former attendee says he was picked up from his last placement in “shackles” by sheriffs who took him to Wood Street, and while there, he saw a young teen physically restrained by workers.
These memories, he says, are “more traumatizing than helpful.”
If you have been to Wood Street please email katie.toth@gmail.com
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This article appears in May 31 – Jun 6, 2018.
I am a young man now. an I spent a year an 3 months in woodstreet confingbment facility. it is nothing but emotional abuse. they restrain kids for talking back. it is almost like they would taunt us. I wouldn’t put my worst enemies child through it
As a parent who child has been here 6 times I may be bias. There are some positives but some negatives. I still dont understand the restraint process, as a parent child protective services told me I was not allowed to restrain my child nor her step father, who was trained properly. Then the foster families aren’t allowed to restrain. But they go to these group homes and staff can do what they please. 45 days is not long enough to make major changes, then they get sent across the parking lot to wood street residential. That place is crawling with addicts, alcoholics, thrives and prostitutes. How can a youth who wants to do better make the change when they are surrounded by others doing those things??? Wood Street programs are not working!!! The kids are getting out and repeating the same things.
As a child that spent many days in wood street and time in Waterville, if I went back in time todo it again I would 100% chose Waterville EVERYIME!! Wood street treats everyone like criminals not children going through tough shit that need help! You five minutes late walking up that huge hill and BAM you got cops on the look out for you! You have absolutely zero personal life where as in Waterville you feel more like you do! They force you to goto all programs in word street where as in waterville yes you must attend programs but you choose the programs best for you! They have shrinks on site for anytime day or night that you need someone, you rarely have them around on wood street! As said above one visits twice a month! That’s not near enough time with these youth! The way visiting and time with your family is set up is crazy! You don’t get phone calls home from wood street but in Waterville your family can actually call you! Wood street is way more like a jail then Waterville and scares the kids in a different way, makes them scared to really ask for the help they need! Waterville is more calming and helpful in a thousand different ways!!
The phone call comment is incorrect. I was able to call my relative at any time and the staff would get him to return my call as soon as he was able to!
I spent from age 14-18 in wood street , ( 11 different stays ) Manh of the kids who are sent here will struggle from severe anxiety from hearing and seeing kids crying for help when they are being held down on the floor , certain staff members are worse than most and go straight to it !!! NEVER EVER. Send your kids here it will damage them emotionally in a way you cant come back from , you feel helpless and like no one cares because even if you open your door to ask someone to come talk to you you may be restrained and if you fight back (which is a bodys natural instinct when grabbed from all angles ) you get thrown into a secure isolation room , the schooling I did there never even counted towards my credits to graduate . My own therapist would come to court and recommend against me staying there . It does not help . I even pressed several charges against staff there for using excessive force to the point u have bruises and cuts everywhere . And than they make you wear long sleeves so no one can see the marks they put on you . I hope it burns down to the ground or is shut down !!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ve been to both Waterville and woodstreet and I would choose going to Waterville over woodstreet any day . They don’t help u at woodstreet .they do what they want they treat u how they want and get away with it. There’s good and bad in every kind of place but woodstreet is way more bad for kids then good ur sceared to do something wrong because they put their hands on u and get away with it over nothing . The place makes me sick to be honest and I really hope things change for the better over there . I feel bad for whoever is in there right now it’s a sick place
I remember going there in may. My stay was 56 days long. (May 29th-July 19th)
In 2018. I was about to go to an important event and I was putting my tie on, waiting for my mother and her boyfriend. The staff of my group home were in the office and I thought nothing was off at all. I was super excited about this event.
A youth who was staying at my house at the time saw a police officer and said “Hey, there’s cops here.” I shrugged because I thought it was for other youth who were in jail at the time.
An officer came in and looked right at me. The youth said “Is he going to Wood st?” And the officer said “We’ll talk about that in a minute. Can you come outside?” I did as he asked and I walked outside still trying to put my tie on.
Another officer walked up to me and stayed quite. The officer broke the news and said “You’re going to wood st.” My heart sank and my only reply was “Really?”
They nodded and I didn’t have time to say goodbye to that youth. They asked if they needed to put cuffs on me and I told them no and I complied and walked to the car silently.
I was taken to the court house on spring garden and was allowed to use my phone to text people once we got there. We waited for an hour for the officers to be ready.
I asked if I could make a call because my phone didn’t have calling and the officer nicely excepted, letting me use his flip phone. But I didn’t get an answer after two phone calls because my family was busy.
I saw four officers come out, all wearing beige. He let me out of the car and said “This one has no cuffs.” And they were appalled. “He has no cuffs? What? He must be good!” They commented about my free self.
They told me to take off my jewelry and my shoes, along with my piercings.
They took my shoe laces and handed me my shoes back. Took pictures of me and asked questions like me weight and height and age ect. I was taken to a holding cell and paced around for about 15 minutes. I saw other youths names who I know very well, scribbled on the wall.
After half an hour an officer opened the door with 2 officers behind him. He said “I don’t want to do this but we have too.” And showed me cuffs and shackles. Which I understand why they had too. Just precautions. He asked me to lift my feet and hands and was very kind and I was lead to a sheriff van. I was put in a small compartment while people who were headed to Burnside were in the big cage. After we stopped at burniside I asked to use the restroom and was taken inside burnisde (Very scary for a 14 year old) and sat on the cold metal toilet with a camera watching me.
I used the restroom and walked back to the van and was given a paper bag with lunch in it.
It consisted of apple juice, an apple, a ham sandwich, dads cookies and others I can’t remember.
We waited an hour for another van to get to Burnside and I was put in the smaller compartment inside that one as well. While other youth were headed to Waterville.
The drive was long and boring and the air conditioning was cold. I arrived at wood st after taking tons of back roads and short cuts. I thought it was a school at first… The building had locks operated by electronic keys.
I walked in and did my “Intake” and I saw youth who are very good friends of mine. I was put on park view and I was asked to shower and change into jogging pants and a sweatshirt with socks and new underwear. They made me leave my shoes outside the unit and they took my clothes to the wash.
During my stay I was yelled at but never restraied. I’ve seen too many break downs and youth getting hurt because of little things they’ve done. I was sent to my room for 2 hours for playing cards with a female resident and they called it a private conversation when I didn’t know the staff weren’t around. I watched my friends get tackled and slammed while screaming and pleading. A girl was grabbed and both of her arms were held behind her back while a staff stepped on her back and kicked her to the ground for just asking for water at night. I was an emotional wreck, even though I was told that wood st was supposed to “Fix my emotional/Behavioural disorder” I was very nervous of being renewed and I did everything asked of me. I was always on edge and felt pressured to have my freedom back. I asked the social worker there Every day if I was being renewed and she said no. My court date was june 5th and I was very upset at the things they said. They made normal teenage things seem like… An abomination. I got kicked out of English and science a lot (Same teacher for both) for doing nothing wrong. And kicked out of math because I have a math disability and I couldn’t do the work. I’ve been out for 6 or 7 months and id rather go to jail then there.
I was in woodstreet for 2 years I was about to get released in 30 days but I chose to goto jail for 6 months instead a half a year in jail is heaven compared to a month in woodstreet hell!!!!!!! Share share share if you care about the kids in care
It’s so sad to see these kids out in the community. As I was a difficult youth with behavioral and pyscological issues I luckily never was placed there instead Shelburne and Windsor sigh of relief . While having coffee with friends on ingliss street I observed a male police officer man handle a small youth so violently that I almost wept for her and I believe these kids !!!! I pray that someone investigates and helps these kids …there young, impressionable and need comfort and appropriate conditions and care in order to heal and learn to handle growing up and making better choices . This is disgusting and I pray that some day these ppl entrusted to help these kids …that abuse there position of power are treated accordingly for their abuse . These kids are our future!!! Prayers for wood Street kids from this momma bear.
yeah i just got out of a long 9 months in woodstreet secure and the long term building i wouldn’t wish it on anyone like fr that place gutted any positive feeling i had about anything it made me insecure, crazy and aggressive if you ever go to woodstreet i will be praying and good advice do NOT act up you will get renewed, also tell fred i said hi
I stabbed a cop because I didn’t want to go back there. I had been there 4 times, and had lived in the residential treatment facility for either two years or almost two years. Goes to show how much it, “helps”, eh?
I still cry over my experiences there, and I will never forget those horrible, horrible years of my life, which were already hard enough– as my father had just put me in care. Apparently the pain of being ripping away from your family and what social workers put you through on a daily basis isn’t enough.
The residential treatment facility being the building across the street from the secure building.
iv only been in woodstreet secure twice those were 2 times of my top 5 worst monthes i went to long term for 9 monthes there verbly abusive tawords kids i was told at 13 years old by the teacher there i would die at 16 i was 13 years old who tf tells a 13 yr old that thats sick ,the my second time in there i was 14 and i was draged into the TQR but 5 staff i punched screemed and kicked , it didnt matter what i did they threw me in there i banged on the door saying let me tf out at leats a hundred times i broke my 3 toes fracksherd my rist and my ankle , when i asked a question to a staff named kelly leel i said witch way to i go when i was doing random directions in the TQR and she said keep talking and ill give u more random directions when i got out of the TQR the staff talked down to me and made me feel wortless do not recomend -rola needham