COCAINE FOUND IN JUVENILE CENTER

Authorities are vowing to review procedures at Passaic County's juvenile
detention center after finding cocaine in a mattress.

"It's obviously a red flag that we need to examine how the drugs got in,"
Freeholder James Gallagher said Wednesday.

The cocaine was found in a male inmate's bed. The youth had a court
appearance Tuesday on charges of possession of cocaine with intent to
distribute.

Acting Passaic County Prosecutor Boris Moczula said detectives in his
office searched a room in the Haledon center Friday and recovered 22 bags
of cocaine, each worth $10.

The center can hold up to 120 youths suspected of crimes, from vandalism to
homicide. They are detained there temporarily -- usually until an
appearance before a judge who can sentence them to a state facility, order
them released, or assign them to an alternative program.

Though there are 149 employees on the payroll at the county center,
including about 80 detention officers, officials said there isn't the same
scrutiny as there would be in a prison containing adults.

The youths are in regular contact with one another through classes and
other programs, and are permitted to have contact visits twice a week with
relatives, said Delores Ferguson, the center's director.

She said visitors must walk through metal detectors and place bags in
lockers before meeting children in sessions supervised by security personnel.

The officers also strip search each youth that enters, she said, noting
that authorities have recovered narcotics "maybe three times" from these
searches in the past 18 months.

The center has long been difficult to manage. In 1995, a 14-year-old boy
was raped there, prompting an expansion of the overcrowded facility. In
1997, employees complained at a freeholder meeting that inmates were using
drugs. A probe found no narcotics.

"There have always been rumors circulating, but this is the first known
incident" where drugs made it past the guards, said Moczula.

When asked how the cocaine got in, and whether any was sold inside, Moczula
answered, "The investigation is continuing."

Citing the youth's age, Moczula would not release his name or the violation
for which he was initially detained.

Gallagher, who heads a subcommittee that oversees the center, said employee
turnover is high. He recommended increased staff training.