By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Buchanan County wants to expand its Youth Detention Center, but questions remain about liability.
Presiding Buchanan County Commissioner, Scott Nelson, says the detention center has only six beds. The county would like to expand to 24.
Nelson says the County Commission needs clarity on its liability should any youth get sick or injured. While the commission waits for that clarification, it moves forward on expansion.
“The architect is getting the drawings done,” Nelson tells KFEQmmunity. “We’re going to, I think, send out an RFQ (Request for Quotation) for construction managers, because we will use a construction manager on this thing.”
Nelson says the county is unclear on whether any sick or injured inmate would be covered by the state Medicaid program. Or, whether the county would be required to pick up the cost of treatment.
Nelson says expansion will be costly, anywhere from $5 million to $20 million. He hopes the county can absorb whatever it might cost in its normal, annual budget.
“I am not a big tax guy. I don’t want to add any taxes to anybody,” Nelson says. “So, basically, if the county has the money and we can budget for it over a two, three-year period and we can do that and be in good shape, we’ll do that.”
St. Joseph Police Chief, Paul Luster, says expansion is needed even though the focus of the 5th Circuit Juvenile Office, which covers Buchanan and Andrew Counties, is rehabilitation.
“There are times when a crime is so, I will say, violent or heinous where detention is probably the best option there for that youth, specifically your violent crimes,” Luster says when asked during his time on KFEQmmunity. “So, then you have to ask yourself in a county this size is six beds enough?”
Luster says police need detention space for juvenile offenders, pointing out juveniles cannot be placed with adult inmates.
“You try to balance the needs of that of the juvenile justice system, which acts differently than the adult justice system, of course,” Luster says. “But also balancing the safety needs of our community and making sure at least the violent offenders, there’s a place for them to go when we’re out of options.”
Luster says while the 5th Circuit Juvenile Office focuses on rehabilitation, there is a need to hold some juvenile offenders, at least for a period of time.
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