ATLANTA - The head of Georgia's Department of Juvenile Justice is ordering a review of the state's youth detention facilities after a federal report suggested high rates of sexual assaults on inmates.
Commissioner Avery D. Niles said Friday he was concerned about the allegations of sexual misconduct and has ordered an advisory committee to review the report for any information that could lead to arrests.
The results of the 2012 National Survey of Youth in Custody included four Georgia juvenile detention centers among a list of 13 with the highest rates of sexual misconduct nationally. The data was based on anonymous surveys of youth in custody.
The four Georgia facilities were a regional youth detention center in Paulding County; the Eastman Youth Development Campus in Dodge County; the Augusta YDC in Richmond County; and the Sumter YDC in Americus.