Instead, was taken to Crossroads, a locked facility in East New York. At Crossroads, she was mixed in with kids who had committed violent crimes. She had to sleep on the floor, received no counseling, and was allowed only a few five-minute phone calls to her mother. On her first night there, she had an asthma attack. She spent a total of four nights at Crossroads.
City officials say they had no choice.
At present, DJJ has a total of 115 group home slots. Only 24 are for girls. The shortage became acute last summer, when three group homes were closed for financial irregularities. But lawyers for the girls say the city is legally obligated to make the space. According to Rosenbloom, hundreds of kids have recently been held in jail only because there was no room in group homes.