HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) — A court-appointed federal monitor said better communication is the best immediate step to take in getting the Forrest County Juvenile Detention Center into compliance with an agreed order from a U.S. District Court lawsuit.
Anne Nelsen, who serves under the order as an independent monitor, also said the next most important steps would be implementation of a staff training plan and a set of written policies and procedures in a status conference Wednesday.
The Hattiesburg American reports (http://hatne.ws/16jwlUH ) the agreed order included 70 provisions to augment staffing, alleviate overcrowding, change various policies and improve educational and medical services, among other goals.
Southern Poverty Law Center filed the suit against the county in April 2011 on behalf of unnamed teens, challenging the conditions of confinement at the facility.
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