The director of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services said yesterday that his department takes responsibility for allegations of abuse of juvenile inmates at Elko’s Nevada Youth Training Center. The Review-Journal reports that the comments by Romaine Gilliland came during a hearing on the allegations led by Clark County Family Court Judge William Voy.
The state had investigated the allegations in December, which included the use of mechanical restraints preventing inmates from standing upright, a technique known as “hobbling.” The state found at the time that each use of restraints had been necessary, but state officials have said hobbling has not been employed at the Elko facility since the investigation.
Gilliland said he is open to bringing in outside experts to look at the allegations from different perspectives. Last week, Judge Voy called for a review of the restraining policies at state juvenile facilities. Earlier this month, he ordered a dozen Clark County youths to be returned to his jurisdiction from the Elko facility, following reports of the use of the “hobbling” technique.
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