THOUSAND OAKS : Group Home Target of 2nd State Inquiry

A group home for teen-age offenders in Thousand Oaks is being investigated for the second time since it opened a year ago, a state Department of Social Services official said Tuesday.

State inspectors are investigating whether youths at the home are properly supervised, said Ron Laux, supervisor of residential care licenses for the state agency, which is also trying to determine whether youths were responsible for an alleged rash of crimes in the area.

Neighbors complained to city officials after a 16-year-old youth stabbed his 17-year-old housemate in the arm during an argument March 1.

The youth suspected in the stabbing was expelled from the home and faces a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, a Ventura County probation official said.

State officials on Dec. 14 cited JMS Home, the operator of the facility on Berkshire Drive, after inspectors received a complaint that a cook had slapped one of the residents, Laux said.

JMS was told to properly train its employees. It still faces an annual review in April for an extension of its operating license, he said. Operators of JMS were unavailable for comment.

The home houses youth offenders and teen-agers diagnosed with psychiatric problems or who are difficult to place in foster homes, Laux said. JMS is allowed to house up to six boys; there are only two residents in the home now.

County probation officials have already taken action to ensure that residents are supervised at all times, said Cal Remington, division manager for the county Corrections Services Agency.