Study suggests juvenile centers in Las Vegas, Reno

Friday, Nov. 7, 2003 | 11:25 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- New state juvenile detention centers should be built in Las Vegas or Reno, rather then in rural counties, a national organization has recommended.

The National Center for Juvenile Justice says locating these reform schools in the outlying areas has "severely hampered" the start of programs for juvenile delinquents.

The recommendations were presented today at the first meeting of the Legislative Subcommittee to Study the Juvenile Justice System. It is the third legislative study of this subject in the past six years.

The report said, "Locating future facilities in Clark and Washoe counties would seem to make the most sense, and would bolster recruitment and retention of a sufficient number of qualified staff."

The two state reformatories are located in Elko and Caliente. Within the next few months, the state is also to reopen Summit View in North Las Vegas for boys who are considered serious offenders.

Joan Bosworth, newly-appointed director of the state Division of Child and Family Service, said recruitment is under way for staff. All of the repairs have been completed, and training of new staff will be done in December.

Summit View has been closed since January 2002 when the private operator pulled out. The state will now run the detention center.

Bosworth said the Clark County School District will provide the educational services. She said these services would "not be as good" as before because Summit View is reopening in the middle of the school year. The district initially will not be able to supply all of the good teachers as in the past, she said.

But she said starting the next school year, the educational program will be up to par.

Richard Siegel, president of the Nevada Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, told the subcommittee there was a "crisis issue" in Southern Nevada in the legal representation of juveniles in court proceedings. He said this should be examined by the subcommittee. There are "an amazingly small amount of resources," to represent these juveniles, Siegel said.

A report submitted to the subcommittee showed that in 2002 there was a "significant over-representation" of black youths who were arrested in Clark County for juvenile offenses.

The report said that 29 percent of the 4,864 juvenile arrests for felonies and gross misdemeanors were African Americans. That compared with 14 percent of that race group enrolled in the Clark County School District.

The report said that 30 percent of the arrests were Hispanic youths, compared to school enrollment of 31 percent of that race.