The head of the state agency responsible for juvenile detention says 238 youths were initially moved from state facilities to others run by New York City under the Cuomo administration's "Close to Home" initiative.
Commissioner Sheila Poole tells lawmakers that first group went in 2013, and city officials wanted to slow down the next phase.
She says the state in December approved phase two and is moving six youths between state and city facilities with a higher level of security, called "limited secure."
The initiative is based on keeping youths close to where they came from, enabling families to visit and participate in rehabilitation and improving the likelihood of success when the youth returns home.
The first phase involved youths adjudicated as juvenile delinquents and needing placements in "non-secure" facilities.
