At least one of the seven Shuman Juvenile Detention Center workers fired Thursday never looked in on the inmates under his watch during an entire eight-hour shift, but he filled out paperwork indicating he had, an investigation has found.

"People would sit down at the beginning of their shift and fill out the entire eight hours of observation times and then sit there for eight hours and never get up once," Allegheny County spokesman Kevin Evanto said yesterday.

"That's significant. There could be anything going on in those rooms -- medical emergencies, kids who need some sort of assistance. It's just a tremendous violation of state regulations and of the rights of those kids to be in a safe and secure environment."

Under state welfare regulations, inmates in their rooms at a juvenile detention center must be checked every 15 minutes.

County officials did not have detailed information available yesterday about the alleged misconduct of each of the former Shuman employees and when it occurred, but the gravity of the situation was not lost on them.

"It is really a significant breach of regulation," Mr. Evanto said. "The center may be put on a provisional license again."

Mr. Evanto said the infractions attracted the attention of top officials in the state Department of Public Welfare, including Secretary Estelle B. Richman, who spoke several times with County Executive Dan Onorato.

Rick Grejda, business agent for Local 668 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents most Shuman workers, said he was "disappointed" that the county publicly discussed allegations against his members without providing the same information to the union.

"We don't even know what these individuals are accused of outside the term 'falsifying records.' They haven't substantiated these allegations. They haven't provided any documentation of where or when these events allegedly occurred," Mr. Grejda said.

The union plans to file grievances on behalf of fired workers Victor L. Brackett Jr., 26; Leonard Franklin, 49; Frank Morgan, 59; Richard Pipkin, 42; Jacques B. Taylor, 39; Levi E. Taylor; and Andre J. Turner.

William T. "Jack" Simmons, who has been director of the 130-bed facility in Lincoln-Lemington for two years, has started to put his stamp on Shuman.

He said he has hired a number of top-level administrators, including a security manager. And he has fired about 35 employees -- not including the seven terminated last week by Mr. Onorato.

Shuman now has 158 employees, including 115 youth care workers.

"People are more apt now, quite frankly, to follow most of the policies and procedures," Mr. Simmons said.

But Mr. Simmons' tenure has also been marked by a slew of high-profile problems at Shuman -- a first provisional license in the center's 35-year history, the mass firing, allegations of log falsification, and a suicide attempt by an inmate last month.

Despite that, county Manager Jim Flynn yesterday said the administration fully backs Mr. Simmons.

"I think our confidence is high in Jack," Mr. Flynn said. "I don't equate the provisional license to Jack's presence there."

Last year the welfare department issued a six-month provisional certificate of compliance for Shuman after an inspection found myriad problems that included inadequate staffing, building disrepair and poorly documented medical records.

Mr. Flynn said Shuman's recent problems do not reflect poorly on Mr. Simmons' leadership.

Rather, Mr. Flynn said, Mr. Simmons has instituted new programs for the benefit of residents and has been prompt to address problems as they crop up.

"Issues are going to arise. It's a detention center," Mr. Flynn said. "In addition to the day to day things that he has to do at that facility, I think Jack is going above and beyond."

While Mr. Simmons spoke with reporters yesterday, the state welfare department continued its investigation of Shuman and pondered whether to take any licensing action.

During yesterday's County Council meeting, Councilman Matt Drozd -- the council's liaison to Shuman -- called for a complete audit of the center's staff, process, supervision and performance, along with the formation of a Shuman Center Study Group. The group would include representatives of the administration and the council, but primarily be composed of representatives of independent groups with experience in juvenile justice issues.

For the sake of the young people living at the center, that group should be created and begin working immediately, he said.

"The bottom line is that lessons must be learned," Mr. Drozd said in introducing the bill, which was referred to the council's committee on public safety. "We have the opportunity to reach a comprehensive remedy for the issues that have beset Shuman Center for years."

Also yesterday, Allegheny County police made a second visit to Shuman since being called in by Mr. Onorato for a wide-ranging investigation into whether any employees broke the law.

Mr. Simmons said he has instituted a number of new policies since a May 24 suicide attempt involving a 17-year-old inmate.

The boy had complained about not feeling well and was allowed to lie down in his room at 5:15 p.m.

Shuman procedures dictated that staff check on him every 5 minutes, but Mr. Simmons said that was not done. He was checked at 5:45 p.m. and again at 6 p.m. -- when he was found with a bed sheet tied around his neck.

The staff members were disciplined for not following the center's procedures. Jamie Goodwin, a child care worker with a year's experience, was suspended for a day. Erica Williams, a part-time child care worker who was hired May 11, was counseled and had a letter put in her file.

Now, Mr. Simmons said, inmates are no longer allowed in their rooms during the day for routine reasons, such as feeling ill. And staff members must check in with supervisors every 30 minutes.

Mr. Simmons acknowledged that all the policies in the world will not deter misconduct.

"If somebody's not going to do their 5 o'clock check, they're not going to do their 5 o'clock check," he noted.

But the new policies provide for accountability and a path to discipline if warranted, he said.

Following the suicide attempt, which revealed employees not following internal procedures, investigators learned of allegations that seven other workers were falsifying paperwork.

Asked if he has investigated whether other employees might have done the same, Mr. Simmons said he has not matched video surveillance tapes against employee logs for the rest of the staff.

"We have not viewed everybody. We haven't had the staff nor the resources to do that," Mr. Simmons said.

Instead, supervisors are conducting random audits daily on each shift.