Printable VersionMohave County could be in trouble and facing consequences of increased costs if proposed state budget cuts eliminate the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections.
According to state paperwork linked to the proposal, 447 juveniles are currently in custody with ADJC and 300 are being held beyond their court-ordered minimum stay. In the past 14 years, studies show the ADJC population has shifted from violent offenders to juveniles with substance abuse or issues of mental health and behavioral health needs.
There are currently four secure facilities, or safe schools, in Arizona including Adobe Mountain School in Phoenix and Catalina Mountain School in Tucson, both for boys, as well as Black Canyon School in Phoenix, which is for girls. The fourth, Eagle Point School, in Buckeye, is in the process of closing, according to Laura Dillingham, public information officer for ADJC.
The male population from Eagle Point will be shifted to the two other boys’ schools, where accommodations at each will increase from 25 to 32 beds. A similar shift would be implemented at the county level if the department becomes eliminated, she said.
“Most counties have at least one (juvenile detention center). With 15 counties in Arizona, that is 15 juvenile detention centers,” Dillingham said. There is some concern that the county facilities don’t have the room, she added.
The juveniles are subject to the state system only after all other county avenues of correction have been exhausted.
“They are adjudicated by a judge after they have been through the system, including the county, no less than seven to 20 times. We are their last stop. We try to ensure they go out in the community and become successful, ” Dillingham explained.
Mohave County Juvenile Detention Facility is located in Kingman and consists of 45 beds. In the last six months, the daily average occupancy at the facility is 21. There are currently 21 employees that oversee the unit.
“They are holding two vacancies. Overall they are authorized 23 (employees),” said Mohave County Chief Probation Officer Friend Walker. The two vacant positions are being held because of a shortage of juvenile occupants as well as shortfalls in the county budget, Walker explained.
There are currently 19 juveniles from Mohave County detained at Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections and 51 are currently monitored in the community by AZDJ’s juvenile parole, according to Walker.
“If the department of juvenile correction were to close, 19 (juveniles) would have to come back to Mohave County and 51 (juveniles) supervised would need to be put on county probation,” Walker said.
With almost 291 juveniles currently on the county probations books, probation officers caseloads are at maximum capacity. Furthermore, there would be notable cost concerns surrounding the re-introduction of the juveniles into the county’s probation and detention center.
“If this happens, there will be significant cost to the county with additional staffing,” Walker said. The county juvenile detention facility would require 14-20 additional personnel to support the re-introduction.
The facility does have enough space to house the extra juveniles but the increase would place the center close to its maximum capacity. There would be no room for growth, according to Walker.
Luckily, juvenile crime trends in Mohave County have shown a downward trend the past few years. Two years ago, the average daily occupancy at the juvenile detention facility was 30 compared to today’s average of 21 in custody.
Recidivism rates of juveniles committed to ADJC from Mohave County had a 31 percent rate of return into the state’s juvenile or adult corrections system in 2008 after being tracked for 12 months after release. The rate is an 11.4 percent improvement over 2007, according to ADJC’s latest recidivism analysis.
In 2009, Lake Havasu City police made 672 juvenile arrests compared to 649 juvenile arrests in 2008, according to statistics provided by Lake Havasu City Police Department. The nature of the crimes showed highest trends in disorderly conduct, runaway, misdemeanor theft and underage alcohol offenses.
You may contact the reporter at jhanson@havasunews.com.
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