I AM president of the Key Program Inc., a private, nonprofit whose founding dates to the early 1970s, when Jerome Miller closed our state's reform schools. Key has provided programs to kids from the Department of Youth Services since that time. As one who has years of experience with DYS, I take exception to Miller's March 7 letter, "Who will look out for DYS 'inmates'?"
Miller wrote that "managerialism has become the prevailing ideology of DYS." If "managerialism" at DYS means holding DYS youth to MCAS standards; providing kids with quality mental health services through licensed clinical staff; emphasizing substance abuse prevention and treatment; being the first state juvenile justice agency to implement the Prison Rape Elimination Act; implementing detention reform; holding kids accountable for their anti-social behavior; emphasizing professional development of staff (many of whom are experienced juvenile justice experts); and closely monitoring contracted programs, then managerialism is a successful leadership strategy.
While certainly not perfect, the array of DYS programs is often directed by changing laws dictated by public mood. Miller needs to be better informed about the current DYS.
WILLIAM LYTTLE
Easton
