LINCOLN — In July, the state spent $700,000 to erect a 10-foot-high, chain-link fence around the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center-Kearney to deter escapes.
As soon as the fence went up, a local police officer put it to the test, according to Kearney Mayor Stan Clouse. It took the officer all of 10 seconds to climb up and over, Clouse said.
“The fence was a good-faith effort, but it doesn’t work,” Clouse said.
Recent statistics seem to bear that out: Since July 1, 15 kids have escaped from the center, or about one a week.
Now, state officials are reevaluating not only the fence, but also how to fill vacant jobs and improve programming at the state’s two youth treatment centers, the center for boys at Kearney and the temporarily closed facility for girls, the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center-Geneva.
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State senators are conducting interim public hearings Wednesday in Geneva and Thursday in Kearney to explore possible solutions to staffing shortages and programming deficiencies at the two centers, which are operated by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. The centers attempt to rehabilitate youths ages 14 to 18 who are sent there by court order for breaking the law.
The state senator who leads the committee conducting the hearings said there were probably better ways to spend $700,000 in state funds than on the fence.

Sara Howard
“If the funds that were used for the fence would have been used for more staff and more programming, perhaps we would have had better outcomes,” said State Sen. Sara Howard of Omaha, who chairs the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee.
Besides the escapes at Kearney, and months-long concerns about assaults on staff, there have been other troubles recently.
In August, the state took emergency action and shut down the Geneva center due to unrepaired damage to buildings and staff shortages. In total, 28 girls were moved to the Kearney YRTC, which now houses 20 girls and 91 boys, and is staffed by employees from both centers, and supplemented by a private security firm that patrols just outside the fence.
Just when the girls might be returned to Geneva is unclear. Lancaster County officials have offered, on a temporary basis, to rent vacant beds for the girls at the county’s youth detention center in south Lincoln.
The state recently conducted job fairs at both centers to address chronic shortages of workers that required many employees to work double shifts to cover vacant posts. At the Kearney center, there were 27 job vacancies for youth security specialists as of 10 days ago. The results from the job fairs were modest — three job offers were extended at the Geneva event and seven at Kearney.
The fence at the Kearney YRTC was spurred by concern from area residents about escapes and thefts of vehicles from adjacent homes by escapees, as well as an increase in assaults on staff.
A year ago, Health and Human Services had asked for $3.9 million to build a 14-foot-tall “security” fence around the facility.
In January, State Sen. John Lowe, who represents Kearney, pared back the proposal to $2 million, saying that basic fencing found at Home Depot or Menards could be as effective.

John Lowe
“The idea of building a fence is one that’s been strongly supported in the Kearney community for several years,” Lowe told the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee in March.
He added that besides blocking escapes, it might also reduce assaults on staff, which totaled over 100 in 2017, by allowing staff to focus on treating youths rather than watching for escapes. The bill was supported by the City of Kearney, but opposed by two advocacy groups, the ACLU of Nebraska and Voices for Children, because it would make the YRTC more “prison like” and less about rehabilitation.
But in the end, the legislative proposal was dropped after the Department of Health and Human Services found $700,000 within its budget for the 10-foot-high fence. The fence, it should be pointed out, does not have razor wire or barbed-wire at the top, like security fences that ring state prisons.
Lowe did not respond to several requests for comment about the fence over the past week. But Grand Island Sen. Dan Quick, who last year sought an alternative — a $3.9 million boost in rehabilitation programming at the YRTCs — said he still believes the fence was not the answer.

Dan Quick
Quick said in his conversations with YRTC staff, judges and others involved with troubled juveniles, the thing that’s been lacking at the YRTCs has been effective programming. His proposal would boost staffing to one per every eight kids, which he said would serve to make a fence unnecessary.
“It’s not supposed to be a prison. It’s supposed to be treatment and rehabilitation, to help them get back to the community and be successful,” Quick said.
Howard said that she hopes to learn more at the public hearings in Geneva and Kearney, but that effective youth treatment centers she’s seen have aggressive programming, stable staffing and few escapes.
“I don’t think the fence is doing the job,” she said. “It’s the perfect height now that kids can get over it, and staff can’t.”
Meet the Nebraska state senators
Nebraska's 49 state senators

Nebraska has 49 state senators in the Legislature. Scroll through to find your state senator and others.
Julie Slama

District 1: State Sen. Julie Slama
From: Peru
Party: Republican
Robert Clements

District 2: State Sen. Robert Clements
From: Elmwood
Party: Republican
Carol Blood

District 3: State Sen. Carol Blood
From: Bellevue
Party: Democratic
Robert Hilkemann

District 4: State Sen. Robert Hilkemann
From: Omaha
Party: Republican
Mike McDonnell

District 5: State Sen. Mike McDonnell
From: Omaha
Party: Democratic
Machaela Cavanaugh

District 6: State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh
From: Omaha
Party: Democratic
Tony Vargas

District 7: State Sen. Tony Vargas
From: Omaha
Party: Democratic
Megan Hunt

District 8: State Sen. Megan Hunt
From: Omaha
Party: Democratic
Sara Howard

District 9: State Sen. Sara Howard
From: Omaha
Party: Democratic
Wendy DeBoer

District 10: State Sen. Wendy DeBoer
From: Bennington
Party: Democratic
Ernie Chambers

District 11: State Sen. Ernie Chambers
From: Omaha
Party: Independent
Steve Lathrop

District 12: State Sen. Steve Lathrop
From: Omaha
Party: Democratic
Justin Wayne

District 13: State Sen. Justin Wayne
From: Omaha
Party: Democratic
John Arch

District 14: State Sen. John Arch
From: La Vista
Party: Republican
Lynne Walz

District 15: State Sen. Lynne Walz
From: Fremont
Party: Democratic
Ben Hansen

District 16: State Sen. Ben Hansen
From: Blair
Party: Republican
Joni Albrecht

District 17: State Sen. Joni Albrecht
From: Thurston
Party: Republican
Brett Lindstrom

District 18: State Sen. Brett Lindstrom
From: Omaha
Party: Republican
Jim Scheer

District 19: State Sen. Jim Scheer
From: Norfolk
Party: Republican
John McCollister

District 20: State Sen. John McCollister
From: Omaha
Party: Republican
Mike Hilgers

District 21: State Sen. Mike Hilgers
From: Lincoln
Party: Republican
Mike Moser

District 22: State Sen. Mike Moser
From: Columbus
Party: Republican
Bruce Bostelman

District 23: State Sen. Bruce Bostelman
From: Brainard
Party: Republican
Mark Kolterman

District 24: State Sen. Mark Kolterman
From: Seward
Party: Republican
Suzanne Geist

District 25: State Sen. Suzanne Geist
From: Lincoln
Party: Republican
Matt Hansen

District 26: State Sen. Matt Hansen
From: Lincoln
Party: Democratic
Anna Wishart

District 27: State Sen. Anna Wishart
From: Lincoln
Party: Democratic
Patty Pansing Brooks

District 28: State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks
From: Lincoln
Party: Democratic
Kate Bolz

District 29: State Sen. Kate Bolz
From: Lincoln
Party: Democratic
Myron Dorn

District 30: State Sen. Myron Dorn
From: Adams
Party: Republican
Rick Kolowski

District 31: State Sen. Rick Kolowski
From: Omaha
Party: Democratic
Tom Brandt

District 32: State Sen. Tom Brandt
From: Plymouth
Party: Republican
Steve Halloran

District 33: State Sen. Steve Halloran
From: Hastings
Party: Republican
Curt Friesen

District 34: State Sen. Curt Friesen
From: Henderson
Party: Republican
Dan Quick

District 35: State Sen. Dan Quick
From: Grand Island
Party: Democratic
Matt Williams

District 36: State Sen. Matt Williams
From: Gothenburg
Party: Republican
John Lowe

District 37: State Sen. John Lowe
From: Kearney
Party: Republican
Dave Murman

District 38: State Sen. Dave Murman
From: Glenvil
Party: Republican
Lou Ann Linehan

District 39: State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan
From: Elkhorn
Party: Republican
Tim Gragert

District 40: State Sen. Tim Gragert
From: Creighton
Party: Republican
Tom Briese

District 41: State Sen. Tom Briese
From: Albion
Party: Republican
Mike Groene

District 42: State Sen. Mike Groene
From: North Platte
Party: Republican
Tom Brewer

District 43: State Sen. Tom Brewer
From: Gordon
Party: Republican
Dan Hughes

District 44: State Sen. Dan Hughes
From: Venango
Party: Republican
Sue Crawford

District 45: State Sen. Sue Crawford
From: Bellevue
Party: Democratic
Adam Morfeld

District 46: State Sen. Adam Morfeld
From: Lincoln
Party: Democratic
Steve Erdman

District 47: State Sen. Steve Erdman
From: Bayard
Party: Republican
John Stinner

District 48: State Sen. John Stinner
From: Gering
Party: Republican
Andrew La Grone

District 49: State Sen. Andrew La Grone
From: Gretna
Party: Republican
paul.hammel@owh.com, 402-473-9584
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