Commissioners study update on juvenile detention facility

MINDEN, Nev. " Douglas County commissioners are to consider an increase in the $100 per day bed rate at the Juvenile Detention Facility at Stateline, a fee that has not changed in 11 years.

Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Scott Shick said Tuesday he was proposing a $10-a-day hike to cover increases in food and other supplies.

"We don't want to out-price people relying on regional detention with us," Shick said.

In addition to Douglas County, the facility houses juvenile offenders from Lyon, Churchill, Nye and Mineral counties, and Rite of Passage.

The center can accommodate 16 juveniles and the average stay is 3 to 7 days.

"The health, safety and welfare of every child placed in the facility is priority," Shick said in a report to commissioners to be presented Thursday.

He said the detention facility, located in the Lake Tahoe Jail, meets core mental health standards with every child entering the facility receiving a screening.

"The results for Douglas County and the state judicial system are a concern: 45 percent of the youth screened display some type of mental health symptoms, and 45 percent of that population display acute mental health symptoms," Shick said.

He said the greatest responsibility of staff at the detention center is the recognition of mood swings and symptoms directly related to suicidal tendencies.

"Their record is excellent and interventions have been timely," Shick said.

He said a juvenile services psychologist responds weekly to mental health concerns and recommendations for timely response to mental health needs of children in their care.

Shick said the juvenile detention facility recently was audited by the state as mandated by the 2007 Legislature.

He said there were no health, safety, welfare or civil rights violations, but auditors had recommendations regarding infrastructure.

Shick said the facility does not meet American Correctional Association Standards recommended by the 2008 Douglas County grand jury.

Deficiencies include:

- Lack of space for educational programming, medical treatment and care, required family visitation and outdoor recreation;

- Insufficient receiving, intake and processing area;

- Lack of natural light windows, poor layout for staff line of sight supervision;

- Need for improved nutritional food guidelines.

The report asks commissioners to consider $500,000 in the county's capital improvement plan toward upgrading the Lake Tahoe Service Center to address the jail and detention facility.

"If we can accomplish this, we will be able to supervise and care for more kids with existing staffing patterns, improved facility infrastructure and guaranteed bed space numbers to contract agencies on a fee for service yearly basis," Shick said.

Under the direction of Doug Albertson, detention supervisor/senior probation officer, and Donna Tholl, youth counselor III, the facility is operated with 10-1/2 fulltime employees and a 2008-09 budget of $852,113.

The detention center is in the east wing of the Tahoe jail, and juvenile offenders are segregated from adult inmates.

"We've been recognized as an example of sight and sound separation (from adults), of how it can work, by the state Juvenile Justice Commission," Shick said.

He credited Albertson and the staff with maintaining the high standards at the detention facility.

"They're up there 24-7," Shick said. "In the seven years since I've been here, there have been no major incidents, no assaults, just minor things."