20 corrections officers injured in brawl at juvenile center

<p>A union and city councilmen say poor planning by government officials is to blame for 20 corrections officers being injured in a brawl at Horizon Juvenile Center.</p>

News 12 Staff

Oct 3, 2018, 9:28 PM

Updated 2,219 days ago

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A union and city councilmen say poor planning by government officials is to blame for 20 corrections officers being injured in a brawl at Horizon Juvenile Center.
More than 25 corrections officers have been hurt at the facility since it officially opened Monday, according to the Corrections Officers Benevolent Association.
The latest brawl happened Wednesday between two rival gangs.
The facility's opening is a result of the Raise the Age Law that went into effect, removing 16- and 17-year-olds from Rikers Island.
The corrections officers union is part of a call for the juvenile center to be shut down before someone is killed. Opponents to the center say Department of Correction officers are not equipped to stop brawls, as they are not even allowed to use things like pepper spray.
Bronx councilman Andy King says the City Council held hearings and offered letters to the city and state recommending the inmates were sent to the Barge, another prison in the Bronx. At that prison, Administration for Children's Services staff and counselors could assist with the transition from Rikers.
The DOC union says it has been involved in a court case calling for a restraining order that would presented corrections officers from working at the Horizon Juvenile facility. They claim the center is a violation of the civil service law.
The union says the restraining order was lifted twice by a judge.
At a news conference, Mayor Bill de Blasio says the city was put on a strict timeline to remove all juveniles out of the system, and that anyone who is violent can be transferred to a more restrictive facility and be charged with additional crimes.
In a statement, an ACS spokesperson says, "We are in a transitionary period for a historic reform that's never been done before, and there have been some incidents involving youth and officers, which were quickly addressed. None of the injuries were serious, but we take these and all incidents seriously."