MANCHESTER — The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office released a 56-page report on Tuesday regarding the Sununu Youth Services Center. The report found no evidence of recent systemic abuse and concluded the facility is operating within legal boundaries.

The review involved interviewing 40 people, examining thousands of documents, and analyzing 300 hours of video footage. It identified staffing problems and leadership failures, including dangerously low staffing levels that contributed to unsafe conditions, forced overtime, and employee burnout. The report recommended wage increases and additional legislative funding.

The report noted a disconnect between the security concerns of residential staff and the treatment priorities of clinical staff. Some residential staff felt the emphasis on trauma-informed practices sometimes hindered safety. The report argued for the implementation of body-worn cameras among staff.

The Attorney General's Office was critical of former bureau chief Joshua Nye, who resigned in May. The report found Nye "lacked the professional maturity" to manage the facility and "intentionally avoided using written communications." It recommended hiring a more experienced bureau chief and establishing a more unified philosophy.

The report addressed claims from a March investigation by the Office of the Child Advocate, which alleged a child broke a bone after being held in an "illegal prone position" restraint for 3½ minutes. The Attorney General's Office concluded the child broke his own hand by punching a window and that the restraints were "appropriately limited to short periods."

Regarding allegations of a six-week lockdown, the report concluded the facility implemented an "initial restriction period" of one week, followed by a "modified schedule" period. These restrictions responded to severe safety threats, including a January incident where a resident broke a staff member's jaw and another resident armed himself with debris near an empty swimming pool. During the restriction period, residents ate and conducted activities within one of four units without intermingling. Leaders began phasing out restrictions in the days and weeks after they began.

Governor Kelly Ayotte noted the conclusion that staff had not broken the law. "While the SYSC is operating within the law, there are unacceptable systemic issues that must be addressed," Ayotte stated. She instructed the Department of Health and Human Services to immediately begin implementing body-worn cameras and address staffing shortages. "The state will work together with stakeholders to ensure the SYSC is a safe, respectful environment for both staff and youth," Ayotte stated. Cassandra Sanchez, the outgoing child advocate who oversaw the March investigation, did not immediately respond to the Attorney General's investigation on Tuesday.