An independent review of the state-run youth detention facility in Manchester alleges children living there have been subjected to punitive conditions in recent weeks, and that one minor was placed in an illegal restraint that resulted in a broken bone.
The New Hampshire Office of the Child Advocate, which serves as a watchdog over the state’s child protection system and residential facilities for youth, says it initially received a report from a child at the Sununu Youth Services Center in early March. In subsequent interviews, children at the facility described living in a protracted “lockdown” status where they were denied full school programs, were forbidden from going outdoors, and were kept in long periods of isolation, including during meals. The children said the restrictions had been in place for approximately six weeks.
“We are in jail now,” one child told investigators, according to the Child Advocate’s published report, dated March 30.
“I don’t want to become one of those mental kids, but this is going to make me one,” another child said.
The report, which is signed by Cassandra Sanchez, who leads the Office of the Child Advocate, also alleges that on March 17, a child was held down “in an illegal prone position for approximately 3 ½ minutes,” resulting in a broken bone. Video footage from the incident did not match the facility’s internal reports about the incident.
“Documentation also showed a delay in medical care provided for the broken bone,” the child advocate’s office alleges.
The facility, formerly known as the Youth Development Center, or YDC, treats high school aged children with severe mental health conditions as well as disciplinary problems. More than 1,000 victims have come forward in recent years alleging physical and sexual abuse at YDC dating back decades. Those sweeping allegations have resulted in criminal prosecutions of former staff, as well as financial payouts to victims. The state has sought to reform the facility in recent years and focus more on stabilizing youth in crisis, and reduce the number of children placed there.
But the Child Advocate’s report details a jail-like environment within the facility in recent weeks that is pushing the roughly 15 children living there to the breaking point.
There is “concern that there is now a correctional mindset driving the facility rather than the treatment focus that has been pushed for the last couple of years,” the report reads.
In a statement, Jake Leon, spokesperson for the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Sununu Youth Services Center, said “we take seriously our responsibility to provide for the health and safety of the youths at SYSC and examine all allegations of abuse or neglect.
“We are thoroughly reviewing the allegations raised by the OCA to identify next steps. Once the review is complete, we will provide a response to the OCA that addresses her concerns,” Leon said.
The allegations come as the SYSC has come under new leadership in recent months. Last December, the New Hampshire Executive Council approved the state health department’s request to hire Joshua Nye, who holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology, to lead the facility. According to his resume, Nye launched a behavioral health center in Atkinson in 2025 that provided treatment for children, adults and families.
“He has dedicated his career to serving vulnerable populations including children, youth, and families,” state Health Commissioner Lori Weaver said in a letter supporting his nomination. Nye earns $106,654 in the position.
The report does not explain why Nye placed the facility in “lockdown” status shortly after his arrival. Children reported limited educational time during the day, and no access to the outdoors. According to the report, “one staff member was allowed to open a door and let children take turns standing inside the threshold of the door to get fresh air on their faces.”
After completing their interviews, the Child Advocate’s office spoke with leadership at the state’s Division of Children, Youth and Families, laying out their concerns about mistreatment.
“During the meeting, DCYF leadership reported they would look into all the concerns noted,” the report notes.
On March 16, the facility ended its restrictions on education and returned to a full-time school schedule.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte said Friday that she has instructed the Attorney General's office to review the claims made in the report.
“I take any allegations of abuse seriously, and this will be thoroughly investigated," the governor said.
Also on Friday, state Senate President Sharon Carson announced she was forming a subcommittee to investigate the facility.
“These are deeply serious allegations that demand swift and decisive action,” Carson said.
New Hampshire House Speaker Sherman Packard also announced Friday that he had visited the facility in late March, along with other lawmakers, as part of an investigation.
“House leadership is gravely concerned about the allegations expressed by the Office of the Child Advocate, and we have been treating this matter with the utmost urgency,” Packard said.
[Editor's note: this story was updated with a statement issued by Gov. Kelly Ayotte after publication.]
