Tightened Security Ordered Locke Calls For Group Home Review After Baby Sitter Killed

Gov. Gary Locke ordered social services officials on Monday to suspend recreational outings for youngsters in juvenile detention facilities for six months. He also ordered security procedures tightened at youth group homes.

The order came more than a week after the murder of 12-year-old Ashley Jones as she baby-sat five children in Stanwood, Wash.

David Dodge, 17, of Camano Island, Wash., pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexually assaulting and killing the girl while attempting to burglarize the home where she was working. Dodge, who had a record of burglary, had walked away from a group home.

Locke’s order also followed the escape of two Maple Lane School inmates, who walked away during an outing to a Seattle Seahawks game on Aug. 2 and who are being investigated in connection with a slaying in Spokane.

Locke ordered the state Department of Social and Health Services to take the following five steps:

Terminate all recreational outings at juvenile institutions for the next six months;

Review security procedures at group homes;

Ensure that adequate risk information is gathered when juveniles first enter the state system;

Investigate ways to better evaluate juveniles coming into the state system and improve how security classifications are determined for them;

Ensure that all potential employers are fully aware of a youth’s background when they consider hiring someone who is serving time in the state juvenile rehabilitation system.

Last week, DSHS officials said they are suspending recreational outings, so Locke’s order reinforces that decision as well as puts a time limit on it.

Locke issued his directive a day before House and Senate committees are scheduled to hold hearings to examine how the state juvenile system screens youths placed in group homes and how it tries to prevent escapes from juvenile facilities.