By Adam Allington, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Representatives for Missouri's Division of Youth Services say case-workers aren't paid enough and that fact is undermining attempts to rehabilitate troubled youth.
Nine juveniles are now back in custody after forcibly escaping from the Hogan Street Youth Detention Center in St. Louis.
Richard von Glahn is an organizing coordinator for the Missouri State Workers Union.
He says low pay and understaffing make it harder to create a working relationship with troubled teens.
"It is a less stable environment through their rehab, their less likely to act out so that when they come out of this facility their not fully rehabbed and they end up committing future crimes and then that puts them in the prison system."
A recent editorial in the New York Times cited Missouri as one of the best youth rehabilitation models in the country.
Division of Youth Services Director Tim Decker accused the Union and supporting Democrats of exploiting the breakout for political gain.
"Missouri has the finest juvenile justice system and the finest youth service system in the country," says Decker.
"We have people that have come here from 25-30 other states trying to emulate our approach as well as achieve the kind of results that we achieve."
According to the Missouri State Workers Union Missouri ranks dead last in pay level for youth service workers.