DHS Report: Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Center employee punched, injured teen

A Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Center worker was not following protocol when they punched a young person in custody earlier this year, according to a report from the Department of Human Services (DHS).

The findings stem from a suspected maltreatment report filed in February of this year that alleged a staff person punched and slapped a juvenile in the facility after they refused to get off the phone.

An investigation into the allegations showed that on Feb. 15, an employee at the detention center, who is not named in the report, approached and asked a youth in custody to get off of the phone.

The young person didn’t follow the employee’s directions and claimed that the employee grabbed their wrist and pulled the phone away from them, at which point the young person slapped the employee.

The report states that body camera footage from the employee and other detention center workers who responded captured the employee hitting the juvenile in the face and head area several times with their fists.

Other employees responding to the incident restrained the juvenile, but the employee continued to swing at them. The report adds that the employee was swinging over other workers at the detention center, before “realizing what s/he had done,” and leaving the area.

The employee said in the report that they “reacted” and was unsure why they hit the young person.

The juvenile had bruising to their left eye and upper temple as a result of the incident.

Other workers who witnessed the incident said the employee did not follow protocol in their actions toward the young person.

The unnamed Ramsey County worker was found responsible for the maltreatment of a juvenile and disqualified from holding a position allowing “direct contact with, or access to, persons receiving services from programs, organizations, and/or agencies that are required to have individuals complete a background study by the Department of Human Services.”

However, the juvenile detention center is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, so the DHS findings were forwarded to DOC officials for any “necessary licensing actions.”

The detention center houses youths 18 years or younger who are waiting for court appearances, according to the DHS report.

Ramsey County Juvenile Detention Center records show the employee was trained on facility policies in 2016 and completed a policy review refresher earlier this year.