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NYC juvenile detention staffer arrested, fired for sex with teenage detainee
By
Bahar Ostadan
Published Apr 20, 2023
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Bahar Ostadan/Gothamist
By
Bahar Ostadan
Published Apr 20, 2023
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A woman who works at a Bronx juvenile detention center was arrested and fired from her job last week on charges of having sex with an 18-year-old detainee, court records show.
Natasha Robinson, 34, was arrested last Friday and charged with sexual abuse, criminal sexual act, sexual misconduct and official misconduct, according to records from Bronx Criminal Court.
The incident highlights what employees say is an ongoing crisis at the city's two juvenile detention centers. People who work at the centers say low pay, gang-related threats and mismanagement foster a culture of violence and sexual harassment.
Prosecutors say video surveillance shows Robinson and the male teen engaged in a sexual act inside Horizon Juvenile Detention in the South Bronx at roughly 4 a.m. on Friday, the day she was arrested. Court records say the teen was deemed legally incapable of consent due to his status as an inmate, rather than his age.
“We have no tolerance for this type of behavior and contacted law enforcement immediately. The employee was immediately terminated,” said Marisa Kaufman, a spokesperson for the Administration for Children’s Services.
Robinson was released without bail and is due back in court in June. Her lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
The centers house roughly 200 young detainees and are run by ACS. In a report published by Gothamist last month, staffers at the centers described a tightly protected network of workers who smuggle in drugs and weapons for the teens and young adults.
Staffers say conditions at the youth detention centers declined since state lawmakers passed the “Raise the Age'' law in 2017. The law banned the practice of sending 16- and 17-year-olds to adult jails like Rikers. Teenagers awaiting sentencing — sometimes for years while they’re held in the centers into their early 20s — are detained alongside much younger kids.
“You're mixing 14- and 15-year-olds with 19- and 20-year-olds. That's a recipe for disaster, and they’re not really keeping anybody safe,” said Antonio Staten, who worked at Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn until last year. “Just because it’s children doesn’t necessarily mean that every case is appropriate for ACS.”
Unlike correction officers in adult jails, youth development specialists in the ACS facilities do not carry handcuffs and are not armed. The agency says they are hired to “serve as a role model, mentor and guide” for detainees.
Former and current youth development specialists said verbal and physical harassment of female staff are a daily occurrence.
Some experts believe sending teenagers back to adult jails isn’t a solution to the chaos at the juvenile centers. Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, thinks the city and ACS need to rethink forced confinement for young people charged with major crimes.
“To me, you don't have to prove that things are working well to support ‘Raise the Age,’” said Butts, who’s worked on juvenile incarceration issues since 1980. “All you have to do is look at the evidence that the other option of putting teenagers and young kids in with adults does not help public safety. It just traumatizes and probably creates more lifelong criminals.”
Tagged
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new york city
bronx
Bahar Ostadan
Bahar Ostadan covers the NYPD and public safety. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or message Bahar on Signal at 646-740-7335.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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