The Connecticut transgender teen legally identified as Jane Doe is in the news again.
You may recall that Jane was incarcerated in an adult women's prison even though she had been convicted of no crime and was later moved to a private treatment center.
Most recently she has been "receiving treatment" in a unit by herself at the Connecticut Juvenile Training School, which houses 145 boys in Middletown. She had been transferred from the Pueblo unit for girls after she was in a fight with three other inhabitants of that unit. Jane and another of the girls were arrested and charged as juveniles in that fight. At least one other girl was administratively sanctioned. Jane's punishment, of course, was being sent to the boy's unit.
Yesterday Jane was transported to a "therapeutic program" in Hartford agreed upon by all parties involved...except maybe Jane...which was supposed to assist her in overcoming past trauma. Apparently during a break in the proceedings, Jane took a hike.
Hartford police issued a "silver alert" for the girl and assisted in the search.
It's unfortunate but not surprising. This is what kids who are traumatized do.
--Child Advocate Sarah Eagan, who is reviewing assaults and the use of restraints and seclusion at Pueblo and CJTS
Jane was found in good health several hours later by a Hartford patrol officer and taken into custody.
She was just walking down the street and she was very compliant with officers.
--Deputy Police Chief Brian J, Foley
We are relieved that she is not injured and we want to thank the Hartford Police Department for their diligent and effective work.
---Department of Children and Families spokesman Gary Kleeblatt
[S]he escaped while attending her first day at a therapeutic program. Attendance at this program was approved by all the parties, including her attorneys and her guardian ad litem. This was part of the ongoing treatment that all involved agree that Jane Doe needs to overcome past trauma and the latest example of the agency's commitment to providing the necessary care for her.
--Kleeblatt
The Hartford Courant has been investigating safety concerns among the staff at the Pueblo unit as well as possible excessive use of improper restraints. Eagan's office reported four separate instances of suspected child abuse by the Pueblo staff after viewing hours of videotapes of the use of restraints. DCF has reviewed the tapes themselves and a department official claims DCF does not consider the conduct to be abusive.
Pueblo is a 12-bed lock down unit that was opened "for the purpose of dealing with, and providing treatment to, the most troubled girls in state care." Jane Doe is, of course, very troubling because she is transgender. DCF officials say tht of the 22 girls who have passed through the Pueblo unit, four of them have accounted for 77% of the incidents at the facility.
Anyone want to bet those are Jane and the three girls she fought with?
A Tuesday afternoon meeting of the CJTS Advisory Board was cancelled because of the search for Jane. Supervisory Public Defender James Connolly, who chairs the advisory board as well as being one of Jane's attorneys questioned the decision to cancel the meeting, where discussion of the use of restraints was on the agenda.