Juvenile Center To Be Built on Reservation

PARKER, Ariz. — The Colorado River Indian Tribes may break ground on a 15,000-square-foot juvenile detention center as early as spring.

 

The Tribes was awarded a federal grant under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act for construction of a $5.8 million, 38-bed facility in 2009 and is currently awaiting approval from the BIA Office of Facilities Management on the architectural drawings.

 

Once approved, the Request for Quotes will be advertised for 30 days.

 

If the construction schedule is maintained, the facility will be completed in December 2012, with final inspection and receipt of the facility to the Tribes by February 2013.

 

“The JDC facility will comply with Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act requirements for placement of juvenile status offenders in “shelter” protection separate from juvenile criminal offenders, as well as sight and sound separation from adult offenders,” said Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department Chief Richard Armstrong.

 

The facility will have administration, public reception and visitation areas, kitchen, separate intake and holding areas, a medical examination room, property storage, multi-purpose conference rooms for staff training, juvenile offender education and counseling, separated male and female housing and a secure outdoor recreation area.

 

“During the initial discussion and planning phases on the make-up of the general JDC facility population, consideration was given to contracting bed space to other agencies, but currently the Tribes are committed to providing complete and direct services to Tribal members who are currently placed at Globe, Ariz., Gallup, N.M., and Towaco, Colo., for long-term sentencing,” said Armstrong.

 

Once an average general population is determined and bed space is available, the Tribes will consider contracting available bed space, Armstrong said.