"DJS didn't care. MSDE [the education department] didn't care. I saw that nothing had been done," Fraser said. "I started thinking, `Why am I still here?' I refused to stay in my position where I might not make it home safely to my son."
Katharine Oliver, an assistant state superintendent who oversees the justice center, said that in response to the employees' letters, a facility safety committee was formed and meets regularly. She said teachers are now receiving the same training in de-escaltion techniques as DJS workers.
"We have stepped up," she said. After hearing from a reporter that staff still felt disconnected, she said, "Our presence will be much more frequently felt there. We need to make sure we understand what's going on and why it is that teachers are not perceiving our support."
