| Organization: | Office of the State Auditor |
|---|---|
| Date published: | April 24, 2026 |
Executive Summary
In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has conducted a performance audit of certain activities of the Department of Youth Services (DYS) for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024.
The purpose of this audit was to determine the following:
- Did DYS monitor its compliance with Sections 5(a) and 5(b) of Chapter 120 of the General Laws and its own policies (see the Appendix for these DYS policies) regarding the assessments of youths committed to its custody?
- Did DYS deliver timely, accurate, and complete educational programs, services, and support to youths committed to its custody as outlined in Sections 2 and 7 of Chapter 18A of the General Laws and Sections I–IV of its Guidelines for Serving Youth with Disabilities Under Section 504?
In addition, we examined whether DYS implemented recommendations from our prior audit (Audit No. 2019-0512-3S), issued on March 14, 2022. Specifically, we determined the following:
- Did DYS institute formal disciplinary guidelines for its 51B report resolution process regarding Section 4.35(2) of Title 110 of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations to address supported allegations of neglect and/or abuse of youths in its care or custody? In addition, did DYS’s mentor program assist with this process?
Below is a summary of our findings, the effects of those findings, and our recommendations, with hyperlinks to each page listed.
| Finding 1 | DYS was unable to demonstrate that it complied with Section 5 of Chapter 120 of the General Laws or its own internal policies regarding the assessments of youths committed to its custody. |
| Effect | If DYS does not comply with Section 5 of Chapter 120 of the General Laws and its own internal policies, then youths may not be placed in appropriate programs or receive the proper support necessary to address individual needs. Additionally, if DYS does not ensure that complete intake assessments are conducted, then caseworkers may lack the information needed to set realistic goals and track progress. Lastly, youths may feel neglected or misunderstood if a proper assessment is not completed, increasing the chance of recidivism and worsening their mental health. |
| Recommendation | DYS should demonstrate compliance with Section 5 of Chapter 120 of the General Laws and its own internal policies regarding assessments and reassessments of youths. |
| Finding 2 | DYS did not always follow its own guidelines regarding 504 plans for serving youths with disabilities. |
| Effect | If DYS does not provide appropriate accommodations for youths in its custody who have disabilities, then these youths may not receive a proper education. |
| Recommendation | DYS should ensure that its employees are aware of, understand, and follow DYS’s own guidelines created for serving youths with disabilities, specifically regarding the 504 plan process, and DYS should update its guidelines to ensure that the 504 process is continued for youths if they reenter DYS’s custody. |
| Finding 3 | DYS did not have sufficient disciplinary guidelines instituted for its 51B report resolution process to address supported allegations of neglect and/or abuse of youths by DYS employees or contractors. |
| Effect | Without formal disciplinary guidelines, DYS may not be preventing the reoccurrence of similar incidents. Although terminating the employee involved in the 51B report may appear to resolve the issue, it does not prevent other employees from continuing the same or similar behavior. Additionally, without guidelines, DYS may be providing unfair treatment to employees, such as suspending some employees and terminating others or even not disciplining some at all for substantially similar policy violations. |
| Recommendation | DYS should take additional measures, beyond just terminating and/or suspending employees upon supported allegations of neglect and/or abuse of youths. Such measures may include providing written guidelines for all staff members to follow when a supported 51B report is received, mentoring all employees beyond their first year of service to provide a supportive environment, and/or providing trainings on areas where there are frequently identified policy violations. |
In addition to the conclusions we reached regarding our audit objectives, we also identified issues not specifically addressed by our objectives regarding how DYS did not have policies and formalized procedures for general education services. See Other Matters for more information.
Table of Contents
- List of Abbreviations
- Overview of Audited Entity
- Objectives, Scope, and Methodology
-
- DYS was unable to demonstrate that it complied with Section 5 of Chapter 120 of the Massachusetts General Laws or its own internal policies regarding the assessments of youths committed to its custody.
- DYS did not always follow its own guidelines regarding 504 plans for serving youths with disabilities.
- DYS did not have sufficient disciplinary guidelines instituted for its 51B report resolution process to address supported allegations of neglect and/or abuse of youths by Department of Youth Services employees or contractors.
Appendix
Downloads
-
Open PDF file, 560.61 KB, Audit Report - Department of Youth Services (English, PDF 560.61 KB)