by colorofchange.org
February 3, 2016
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On January 11, Gynnya McMillen was found dead in her room in the Lincoln Village Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Elizabethtown, KY. Admitted into the center a little over 24 hours prior to her death, the once healthy, 16-year-old girl’s life has been taken and the police have offered very little information. Nonetheless, disturbing snippets of the truth have been slowly surfacing as the family and community continue to demand answers.
It was announced that upon arrival, multiple detention staff immobilized the 16-year-old girl using a martial-arts restraint after she refused to take off her sweatshirt. It was also found that the center neglected to perform required 15 minute check ups on Gynnya. Even once they discovered she was not breathing, the center nurse did not immediately begin resuscitation efforts. It was not until 11 minutes after they realized Gynnya was not responding and a conversation with police, that the nurse began performing CPR.
It was Gynnya’s first time going to a juvenile detention center, which resulted from an altercation she had with her mother. No child’s life should ever end after entering a detention center. No family should have to go this long without knowing what happened to their loved one. Please stand with Gynnya’s family and call for KY Commissioner of Juvenile Justice Bob Hayter to provide answers for Gynnya’s death by releasing the unedited audio and surveillance tapes.
Below is the letter we will send to Kentucky Commissioner of Juvenile Justice Bob Hayter on your behalf urging him to release unedited surveillance footage of Gynnya McMillen.
Dear KY Commissioner of Juvenile Justice Bob Hayter:
I am writing to demand that you respond to the request of Gynnya McMillen’s family and the community to publicly release the unedited audio and surveillance tapes for the days 16-year-old Gynnya was in the custody of Lincoln Village Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Elizabethtown, KY.
Gynnya’s family and community members deserve to know if protocol was followed when handling Gynnya while she was alive and after she was found unresponsive. We deserve to know what events led to her death.
In the interest of justice, transparency and to ensure youth sent to Lincoln Village Regional Juvenile Detention Center are safe, please immediately release unedited audio and surveillance footage.
[Your Name]