Agency History
1901 | The Territorial Industrial School was created in Benson, Arizona to confine juveniles. The school was given jurisdiction over any child between the ages of eight and sixteen who were convicted of an offense punishable by imprisonment. These "children" could be confined until the age of 21. |
1912 | After statehood, the Arizona Superior Courts were given jurisdiction over dependent, neglected, incorrigible or delinquent children. The Territorial Industrial School in Benson, Arizona was closed, and a new school for youth, the Arizona Industrial State School, was opened at Fort Grant, Arizona. |
1927 | The Arizona Girls School, a separate facility for female youth was established in Randolph, Arizona. |
1940 | Arizona formed a separate juvenile court. |
1956 | Arizona juvenile judges were given broad powers over youth accused of delinquent violations. |
1967 | The Arizona Youth Center was established in Tucson, Arizona and housed male youth. |
1968 | The Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) was created and given jurisdiction over adult inmates and juvenile offenders. |
1972 | The Arizona Girls School opened in Phoenix, Arizona. |
1974 | The Arizona Girls School was renamed Adobe Mountain School (AMS) and renovated to house both male and female populations. The Arizona State Industrial School in Fort Grant was converted to an adult facility and male youth were moved to Adobe Mountain School. A federal mandate required that Arizona deinstitutionalize status offenders. |
1975 | Correctional Officer Paul Rast was assaulted and killed by several juveniles at Adobe Mountain School. |
1978 | The Juvenile Institutions Division was created within the Arizona Department of Corrections. |
1979 | Length of Program Guidelines were established by the ADC Juvenile Institutions Division. An Arizona Supreme Court decision lowered the age of juvenile court jurisdiction from 21 to 18. |
1980 | The Arizona Youth Center in Tucson was renamed Catalina Mountain School (CMS). |
1986 | Mathew Davey Johnson, a youth held at the CMS filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court alleging unconstitutional conditions of confinement. Superintendent James Upchurch and the State of Arizona were named as defendants. |
1987 | The United States District Court made Johnson v. Upchurch a class-action lawsuit. |
1988 | Black Canyon Juvenile Institution was opened adjacent to AMS and was later renamed Black Canyon School (BCS). |
1989 | Governor Rose Mofford issued an Executive Order creating a Select Commission on Juvenile Corrections. |
1990 | The Commission issued a report with 42 recommendations, including an emphasis on education and a broad spectrum of programs to meet with diverse needs of juvenile offenders. Senate Bill 1034 creates a separate juvenile department and separate school district for youth committed to corrections. On July 1, 1990, the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections (ADJC) became a separate cabinet-level agency under the leadership of Director Carol Hurtt Boone, appointed by Governor Rose Mofford. |
1991 | House Bill 2324 renames ADJC to the Arizona Department of Youth Treatment and Rehabilitation and places many of the Commission recommendations into statute. John R. Arredondo, Director of Institutions for the Texas youth Commission was appointed Director by Governor John Fife Symington III. |
1993 | United States District Judge Richard M. Bilby signed a consent decree settling Johnson v. Upchurch. The decree contained provisions that mandated reforms in treatment programs, health care, education, etc. A three-member panel known as the Committee of Consultants was appointed to monitor departmental compliance. |
1994 | Eugene R. Moore was appointed Director by Governor John Fife Symington III. |
1995 | The agency’s name was renamed to the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections (ADJC). |
1997 | Proposition 102 / Senate Bill 1446 became effective mandating that violent or chronic youthful offenders over a certain age, be direct filed into adult court. Judge Richard M. Bilby allowed the consent decree to expire thus “returning control of the juvenile justice system to Arizona’s executive and judicial branches of government.” David A. Gaspar was appointed Director by Governor Jane Dee Hull. |
1998 | The Southwest Regional Juvenile Correctional Complex opened in Buckeye. It was later renamed Eagle Point School (EPS). Deloitte Consulting completed a study of Arizona’s juvenile justice system that included an examination of ADJC. |
1999 | The Department became a member of the Performance Based Standards (PBS) program managed by the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA). |
2000 | ADJC underwent a legislative sunset review and was extended 10 years. The Reception and Classification (RAC) unit was moved from EPS to AMS. |
2002 | Suicide death of two separate youth at AMS. |
2003 | The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) notifies Governor Jane Dee Hull of their intent to investigate ADJC for civil rights violations after a third suicide death occurred at AMS. Michael D. Branham was appointed Director by Governor Janet Napolitano. |
2004 | The DOJ issued a report related to the Civil Rights of Institutionalize Persons Act (CRIPA) in which investigators found serious deficiencies with the Department’s suicide prevention policies and practices; a lawsuit was later filed in federal court based on their findings. A Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the State and the DOJ to address the deficiencies. A task force on Juvenile Corrections Reform was appointed by Governor Janet Napolitano. |
2005 | ADJC began using the automated Criminogenic and Protective Factor Assessment (CAPFA) at intake for the purpose of determining youth treatment needs. The CAPFA included over 150 items organized into 12 domains and was performed by several subject-matter-experts. ADJC awarded the first high school diploma. A housing unit was renovated to provide health services for youth. ADJC received a grant from the National Institute of Corrections to begin using the Correctional Program Assessment Inventory (CPAI) to evaluate treatment programs provided within secure care and by community partners. The CPAI was updated and later renamed the Correctional Program Checklist (CPC). |
2006 | ADJC Changing Attitudes and Behavior (ACAB), a culture change initiative was established. ADJC Education programs were accredited by the North Central Association. Secure care facilities were renovated to reduce the risk of youth suicide. A culinary program was initiated for youth. New Freedom was adopted as the core treatment program. A Wildland Fire Crew program for youth was created to provide support for wildland fire fighters. |
2007 | The CRIPA lawsuit was dismissed because the Department had substantially complied with all of the more than 120 mandatory provisions in the Memorandum of Agreement. Computer Statistics (COMPSTAT) program was adapted from law enforcement for use in helping to reduce violence. |
2009 | Eagle Point School closes. The Arizona Auditor General’s Office completed a report entitled: ADJC – Suicide Prevention and Violence and Abuse Reduction Efforts. AMS and BCS were combined into one secure care facility. The Day and Evening Support Center (DESC) was established to assist youth in transitioning to the community. |
2011 | Charles Flanagan was appointed Director by Governor Janice K. Brewer. Catalina Mountain School was closed. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) was established within ADJC’s Education Bureau. ADJC developed a partnership to begin a distance learning charter school to help youth transition out of secure care and back into the community. |
2012 | A Sunset Review was completed and ADJC was granted a 10 year extension. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) was adopted as the Department’s behavior management program. A web-based inspections system called Green, Amber, Red (GAR) was created. ADJC began partnering with the counties in the use of the Arizona Youth Assessment System (AZYAS). A new school calendar was adopted that focused on student achievement, operational efficiency and employee and youth safety. The Day and Evening Support Center (DESC) closes. |
2013 | Governor selects Director Flanagan to Chair the Child Advocate Response Evaluation (CARE) Team to investigate issues associated with the Child Protective Services Division (CPS) of the Department of Economic Security (DES). Family Support Program was established to become more inclusive in our interactions with the families of our youth. Integration of Adobe Mountain and Black Canyon Schools. |
2014 | Charles Flanagan was appointed as the Director of the new Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) and Assistant Director Dona Marie Markley assumes operational control of ADJC. |
2016 | Dona Marie Markley was appointed Director by Governor Douglas A. Ducey. Jeff Hood was appointed Interim Director by Governor Douglas A. Ducey. |
2018 | Jeff Hood was appointed Director by Governor Douglas A. Ducey. |
2022 | Doug Sargent was appointed Director by Governor Douglas A. Ducey. |
