DRM > DRM Statement on William Dickerson Detention Facility
DRM Statement on William Dickerson Detention Facility
Disability Rights Michigan (DRM) has been closely following reports of overcrowding, alleged abuse, and dangerous conditions for youth held at the William Dickerson Detention Facility. DRM has not received any direct reports of disability-related abuse and/or neglect, but the reports remain alarming—especially since (according to data), about 65-70% of youth involved with the juvenile justice system have a disability.[1]
On March 16, 2023, the Detroit Free Press reported the Michigan State Police were conducting an investigation at William Dickerson and seven employees had been suspended in connection with an alleged assault, pending investigation. Bob Wheaton, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, indicated the state had initiated two investigations and would have an active on-site presence during the ongoing investigations. While the agencies and authorities with primary responsibility for oversight of these issues are actively investigating allegations of abuse and the conditions at William Dickerson, DRM does not plan to send in-person monitors to William Dickerson.
DRM is charged with protecting and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities, including the right to be free from abuse and neglect, the right to appropriate treatment, the right to treatment in the least restrictive setting, and the right to a Free Appropriate Public Education. Youth at William Dickerson retain these rights, and they must not be denied due to staffing issues, overcrowding or inadequate oversight.
As a core principle, it is DRM’s position that the solution to facility overcrowding, and the dangers to well-being it presents, lies in access to adequate and appropriate community-based services, not by increasing the capacity of facilities. DRM notes the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Task Force recommendations also speak to the need for improved community-based supports.
DRM zealously works to ensure youth have access to essential community-based services through a variety of activities. Currently, DRM is engaged in a class action lawsuit on behalf of children with mental illness, advocacy supporting appropriate education for children with disabilities, and advocacy for appropriate discharge from institutional settings, among other areas of advocacy.
DRM encourages anyone with concerns about disability rights violations, in facilities like William Dickerson, to call our office at 800.288.5923.
[1] The Arc’s National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability. (2016). Justice-involved youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A call to action for the juvenile justice community. The Arc of the United States. http://thearc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/15-037-Juvenile-Justice-White-Paper_2016.pdf
