Crime Will Pay For City That Gets Juvenile Center
Eastern Washington cities say they want to host a new juvenile detention center the state wants to build by 2000.
The state Department of Social and Health Services wants to locate the new $50 million facility in Eastern Washington because 25 percent to 30 percent of the state’s juvenile offenders come from the region east of the Cascades, said spokesman Randy Sparks.
Even though the state indicated it would prefer to build the new center in Eastern Washington, five Western Washington municipalities tossed in their hats, as well.
“We didn’t just limit it to Eastern Washington, though that’s our primary focus. We’ve got six institutions in Western Washington already and almost 30 percent of our juveniles are from Eastern Washington,” Sparks said.
Because many juvenile rehabilitation programs include working with families, having a center in Eastern Washington would make counseling and visitations easier, he said.
“If you’ve got to go from Spokane to Chehalis, how often are you going to go visit your kid?” he asked.
The new center, a 300-bed medium- to maximum-security lock-up that will house offenders from age 9 to 21, will employ as many as 500 people.
Municipalities were sent invitations to submit bids by Jan. 5 for consideration.
The municipalities that expressed an interest have until the end of the month to submit detailed proposals to DSHS, which will determine whether they meet the site requirements, Sparks said.
DSHS plans to complete its list of qualified sites by spring, and then will schedule a series of public hearings.
“We’ll need this, if current projections hold, by about the turn of the century,” Sparks said. “We already have a big building program at every one of our existing facilities.”
With visions of a large state payroll and local purchasing, communities jumped at the offer, as many did two years ago when the state was looking to expand its prisons.
“We’re very interested,” said Edna Brooks-Pittman, Toppenish community development director. “It will take the cooperation of a lot of people.”
Toppenish officials told the state they have 12 possible sites in and around the city. None are owned by the city and most are owned by the Yakama Indian Nation or tribal members.
“The support of the tribe is essential in anything that happens,” Brooks-Pittman said.
The state is looking for something in Eastern Washington, but not too far out in the sticks.
Eligible sites must have at least 60 developable acres, water, sewage treatment, electricity and outside fire, police and emergency services within 10 minutes’ driving time.
“Think of it as a little city. It has all the same needs,” Sparks said.
Mabton City Manager Ildia Jackson said the city first will determine whether the public supports such a facility before submitting a detailed proposal. City officials have scheduled a public hearing.
“If you don’t have public support there is no need to go further,” Jackson said.
The new center will hold some of the state’s worst juvenile offenders, including some who are in transition to adult prisons, Sparks said.
“These are the ones that graduate up through the system,” Sparks said. “We’ve got the 12-week wonders and kids that are in for life. We’ve got the full range.”
The Eastern Washington facility will have state-of-the-art perimeter security, Sparks said.
xxxx Who wants the juvenile detention center? Here are the municipalities that have sent the Department of Social and Health Services letters of intent to make bids for hosting a new $50 million juvenile detention center: Toppenish Ritzville Soap Lake Warden Port Angeles/Clallam County Economic Development Council LaCrosse Granger Port of Quincy Mossyrock Winlock Medical Lake Walla Walla County City of Walla Walla Othello Forks Pacific County Pend Oreille County Port of Whitman County Lind Ephrata Mabton Port of Moses Lake Asotin County Sprague Rosalia Klickitat County Port District Connell Mattawa -Associated Press