The Milton Girls Juvenile Residential Facility in East Milton was shut down Dec. 24, according to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. The girls that were remaining in the facility were relocated. Citing significant health, safety and security concerns with the administration and operations in Milton, DJJ officials said they decided to relocate youth in the facility to other programs. When the provider company, Universal Healthcare Services Inc., DBA Gulf Coast Treatment Center Inc., was made aware of the decision, they “requested to terminate the program’s contract, and DJJ accepted that termination.” “Recently, many youth in the facility expressed concerns for their personal safety to DJJ, the Department of Children and Family Services and local law enforcement,” a release said. DJJ is in the process of transferring all remaining youths in the facility to alternative programs. The Milton Girl’s Facility supervisor, Shannon Abbott, 33, is facing a felony child abuse charge after an incident that took place in August. A second employee, Carol Andrus, the program administrator, is also under investigation for a separate incident of alleged excessive force. “DJJ will not tolerate activities which place the youth for whom we are responsible in harm’s way, including those under the supervision of our contract providers,” DJJ stated in a previous release.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Girls juvenile residential facility shut down