Urge Governor Inslee: Don’t close Naselle Youth Camp

UPDATE — Unfortunately, Gov. Jay Inslee did not veto this provision when he signed the supplemental budget into law.

The following is from the Washington Federation of State Employees, AFSCME Council 28:

NASELLE, Wash. (March 24, 2022) — Tucked amid the temperate rainforests, streams and tidelands of Washington’s Pacific coast, Naselle Youth Camp (NYC) is a peaceful environment where youth undertake major transformations.

They graduate from the camp’s high school. They learn trades like forestry, aquaculture and electrical that serve them for a lifetime and fast-track them for good-paying careers. They receive behavior therapy, anger-management training and chemical dependency treatment from dedicated professionals that monitor and celebrate their progress.

Unlike other juvenile rehabilitation facilities in the state, NYC is non-fenced and medium-security. It fits the needs of the youth it serves — largely non-violent offenders whose chances for rehabilitation are good.

But without intervention from Governor Jay Inslee, youth who would benefit from NYC won’t be able to. The camp is scheduled to be closed in July 2023 absent a veto from the governor.

TAKE A STAND — Please support members of WFSE/AFSCME and the people they serve. Send a message to Gov. Jay Inslee urging him to keep Naselle open. By vetoing that provision of the supplemental budget, WFSE members can continue to provide these vital services to our youth.

“Closing Naselle would be a huge detriment to the youth,” said Jessica Mason, a paraeducator at the Naselle Youth Camp School. “It doesn’t make sense to send them off to facilities that are higher security, which they don’t really need, where it will cost the state more money to house them.”

Read more “Voices From Naselle” at WFSE.org.