Youth jail bidder’s Florida work studied

Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2002 | 11:20 a.m.

CARS0N CITY -- The director of the state Department of Human Resources says he wasn't aware of allegations that a Georgia company that wants to operate the Summit View detention center may have had past problems in running similar youth programs in Florida.

But that doesn't mean the company will lose the contract, said Mike Willden, whose department oversees Summit View near North Las Vegas.

Willden said Monday that an evaluation committee in the state Purchasing Division, not his department, issued the "intent to award" the contract to Securicor New Century.

Willden said he intends to meet this week with the evaluation committee to talk about the allegations. He said, however, he doesn't know if this will change the decision to go forward with negotiations with Securicor.

The real issues, Willden said, are whether the problem at three youth centers in Florida were "pervasive and continuing" and if there were no efforts to correct the deficiencies.

Willden said every company that runs detention centers for hard-core juveniles has problems of "uprisings, runaways and improper relations" between staff and the inmates.

Ernie Adler, attorney for Rite of Passage of Minden, which came in second in the bidding for the state contract, said the company would file an appeal in the next week.

Adler said many of the problems that occurred in Florida were similar to the ones Summit View had when it was operated by Correctional Services Corp., which ended its contract in January.

The $14 million Summit View, with 96 beds for serious male juvenile offenders, opened in 2000 and closed on Jan. 31.

Rite of Passage President Lawrence Howell also complained that the company's parent is based in Great Britain.

William Florence, president of Diversified Business Vision of Las Vegas, a third company that submitted a bid, said Monday he was also concerned how the bid was awarded.

Stae Purchasing Officer Colleen Janes could not be reached for comment on whether the evaluation team knew about the past problems of Securicor, which runs three centers in Florida for the state.

Securicor President Gail Browne said there has been one escape in the past year. That came at a center where the least restrictive inmates are allowed to go into the nearby town.

She said in the three years Securicor has been operating in Florida, there have been two incidents of improper sexual relationships between staff and an inmate. In one case the employee was fired within 24 hours and in the second, the worker quit, Browne said.

All three centers, Browne said, are now accredited by the American Corrections Association and have programs of vocational training and drug and substance abuse.

Willden said the state doesn't condone such deficiencies but said they arise when dealing with high-security juvenile males.

He said he is attempting to set up a meeting in the next few days for officials "to go over the issues" involving Securicor.

Willden also said he didn't understand Howell's objection to the company's parent firm being headquartered in Great Britain.

"I don't understand why that is important," Willden said. "We're looking for the best contractor."

But Gov. Kenny Guinn has said he would like to see Nevada firms get contracts for state work if bids are equal.