[StBernard] Joint juvenile detention center discussed in St. Bernard

[Westley Annis]

Joint juvenile detention center discussed in St. Bernard
Posted by St. Bernard bureau June 16, 2007 11:20AM
Seeking to reverse a post-Hurricane Katrina spike in juvenile crime in St.
Bernard Parish, Sheriff Jack Stephens is negotiating with Plaquemines Parish
officials to share the costs of reopening the juvenile detention center in
Chalmette. 

A staffing shortage has forced the 36-bed center to remain closed since the
hurricane, requiring most juvenile suspects to be turned over to their
parents or guardians after an arrest.

"It's basically a catch-and-release program," said Maj. Jimmy Pohlmann of
the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office.

Stephens said he's had trouble recruiting employees who have been trained
and have the right temperament to work with troubled teens.

It takes 26 employees, including counselors, teachers and medical personnel,
to staff the detention center, he said.

"Holding juveniles is extremely expensive," the sheriff said. "It would help
if we could introduce some economies of scale."

Stephens said he is in discussions with Plaquemines Parish Sheriff Jiff
Hingle to jointly recruit employees and share expenses to operate the
juvenile facility.

The talks with Hingle also involve possibly pooling corrections officers for
the adult prison in Chalmette, allowing more prisoners to be held there.

St. Bernard's prison, located next to the juvenile detention center, is big
enough to hold 400 prisoners, but a staffing shortage has reduced its
capacity to 130.

Plaquemines Parish isn't holding any prisoners in its jail because of an
employee shortage, Stephens said.