Workers worry, parents sound alarm as Craigwood Youth Services in Ailsa Craig ships out kids

A lack of staff has forced the closure of a youth jail outside of London, Ont., a move workers and parents say is emblematic of a deeper crisis within the youth criminal justice and mental health system. 

On Friday, the remaining three young people housed at the youth detention section of Craigwood Youth Services Ailsa Craig were flown to Sault Saint Marie, said Jonathan Guider, who has worked at the facility for 24 years and represents staff there as part of OPSEU Local 166. Craigwood has 12 beds for female young offenders. 

"People are jumping ship and going to work elsewhere because it's not a very glamorous job and we are not being compensated properly. People have been leaving in flocks," Guider said. 

Ontario has a unique system, where some youth jails are operated directly by the province while others, such as the Ailsa Craig facility, are operated by outside agencies, such as Craigwood Youth Services. 

"We work with the same youth, we're overseen by the same ministry, but our part-time workers start at $19 an hour and cap out at $20 an hour. At the direct-operated female facility, they start at $36 an hour and cap out at $43, plus they have WSIB and their health and safety standards are very high," Guider said. "It's a no-brainer. Why would you stay when you can make as much money working at Starbucks?" 

OPSEU wants the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to bring the two systems into one, which a provincial report called for in 2016. 

Craigwood's interim executive director did not respond to CBC's request for comment. The facility also offers mental health services for children and teens who are not part of the criminal justice system. 

"Young people residing in youth justice facilities across the province have access to mental health supports, including psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses and social workers, based on their individual needs," ministry officials wrote in response to questions about the situation. 

"Those with complex mental health needs also have access to assessments, counselling and clinical treatment through other mental health/Specialized Services funding.

The province is expanding secure treatment facilities in Oakville and Ottawa, officials added, and have established a task force to look at staffing and capacity issues.  

One girl's story

Six months into a two-year jail sentence, the teenager had bonded with staffers and was seeing a counsellor she connected with. She was starting to earn back privileges, such as being allowed out of the Craigwood Ailsa Craig facility, accompanied by staff, to get a health card. 

"She has a lot of anxiety but since Craigwood, she's come a long way. All the staff have told me that she's encouraged the other girls to participate more in groups, that she gets to run a craft group every couple of weeks," said her mom. 

The girl and her family cannot be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, nor can any identifying details be revealed. The girl began a three-year sentence in May. Two of those years are to be served in custody, and the third in a community supervision setting. 

Her family lives about a two hour drive from Ailsa Craig and visited every weekend, a time for the girl to talk to her mom or grandparents and to bond with her little sister. In a couple of weeks, the girl was going to earn another privilege — her mom could bring the family dog for a visit. 

"That was a big deal for her. She's a big pet person," her mom said. 

But on Friday, mom got a call at 4:30 p.m. Her daughter was being flown that night to Sault Saint Marie, transferred because of staffing issues at Craigwood. The weekend visits would no longer be possible becuase they'd mean at least an eight hour drive. 

"When she was sentenced, I thought, 'Oh good, she's going to a safe place.' Her sentence is an intensive rehabilitation custody sentence, so they're really focusing on her mental health, her future, preparing her for getting out of there. Before she went int, it was impossible to find the proper help for her," her mom said.

"I can't believe they're allowed to just ship them out like that. She loves the staff at Craigwood. She has developed attachments with them. These are her family right now. They know her issues." 

Staffing levels have been low, the mom said, but the staff were doing the best they could. "They care about these kids. It feels like someone who is supposed to be funding this place and running it isn't doing what they're supposed to be doing." 

Craigwood staff will continue to go to the Ailsa Craig facility, even though there are no kids left because the ministry has said the closure is temporary, Guider said. "It's a joke, how poorly the transfer-payment system has gotten. Something needs to change. People are leaving, we're resorting to temp agency staff. It's a horror story."