Consultant on juvenile facility told to halt job by official

A strongly worded letter from a Cape Girardeau County commissioner didn't stop a Chicago consultant from filing her final report on the county's juvenile detention center needs, a topic that the commission, judges and juvenile officials have been debating for two years.

Consultant Bobbie Huskey's final report came in last week on Feb. 26. But no members of the commission said at a meeting that the report had been received.

Commissioner Joe Gambill, frustrated by the media's coverage of the juvenile center controversy, said the preliminary report gave the commission all the answers it needed. He wrote a letter to Huskey & Associates on Jan. 23 stating the commission didn't need the final draft of the study, which cost taxpayers $61,000 -- half from the county and half from a federal grant.

Gambill's letter said commissioners didn't need any face-to-face communication with the consultant and, if the firm answered the commission's questions regarding the preliminary study, requested it do so by letter so "it will not be readily accessible to the media for a future round of a dozen news articles and editorials."

Commissioner Larry Bock said Gambill followed that letter with another one requesting the study.

Seeking a meeting

Other parties involved in this issue have said they wanted a meeting with the consultant and the commission. Attorney John Grimm, who recently stepped down as circuit judge and was involved in trying to get a new juvenile center built, said he thought it was unfortunate that the commission cut off communication.

"By them taking that position, I don't think the county got the entire benefit of everything they paid for," he said.

Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones, who owns Jackson's weekly newspaper, said the letter was Gambill's doing.

"You'll need to talk to Joe Gambill about that. I've just kind of washed my hands of the issue," said Jones, speaking of the entire juvenile center topic. "It's just become such a terrific headache. I've got more important things to do than argue with judges. When they all get done fighting with it, maybe they'll bring me in on it."

Gambill did not sign the letter and, when asked if he was writing on behalf of the entire commission, said "I don't know what it was. I just wrote it."

Hired by commission

Commissioners hired the consultant in August to help solve a dispute with juvenile judges and others who work with troubled youths over whether there should be a new juvenile detention center. Huskey was to develop a master plan that, among other things, looked at how many juvenile detention cells will be needed over the next 10 years and what the alternatives are to locking up juvenile offenders.

The final report, officials say, did not deviate much from the preliminary report, which was very critical of the current center's safety and rated the center as inadequate in 90 of 96 categories in a functional evaluation summary rating form. The final report bears much of the same, saying "The current physical plant is seriously inadequate. In the opinion of the project team, the facility does not meet state and nationally accepted standards."

Gambill, the commission's point man on this issue, said the commission got the two answers it needed from the preliminary study, which was the reason he originally said the commission didn't need the final copy.

"We were after two things: The number of cells that would be required in 10 years and the alternatives to detention," he said.

As far as his issues with the media, he said "We're tired of playing this thing out in the press. The only people interested in this whole thing is the (expletive deleted) media."

Gambill said he was disappointed in the final study, saying the consultant didn't answer the commission's questions and concerns.

Bobbie Huskey did not return two phone messages Tuesday.

Shortly after the preliminary study was released, Jones said the commission didn't think the building was unsafe.

Three county options

The final study outlines three options available to the county and the 32nd Circuit.

Continuing the status quo and poring in money to repair the current facility and transporting and housing children in other jurisdictions. That will not be cost-beneficial in the long run, the study says. In 10 years, the study estimates the county will have to spend $5.1 million.

Contracting all detention needs to other jurisdictions. That would cost an estimated $402,000 per year.

Developing a series of alternatives to detention and a smaller secure detention center. This is the option recommended by the firm. The total capital cost would be $1.7 million for a 13-secure detention bed facility.

Randy Rhodes, the juvenile center's chief officer, said he has not finished digesting the report yet.

"I think the consultant is saying the facility definitely needs to be upgraded, whether it be for one kid or for five kids," he said. The center averages less than four offenders per day. "Whether or not something is done now, the basic structure still has problems and eventually we'll have to face up to it."

Bock said he wants to make sure the current facilities are made safe, but he does not think a new center is needed.

In the final study, the firm outlined 10 recommendations for consideration by Bollinger, Cape Girardeau and Perry Counties to enhance the justice system of the region:

Expand an electronic monitoring program as an alternative to detention.

Develop a therapeutic community school program to reduce school dropouts and delinquency.

Develop a status offender intervention program to reduce youths becoming delinquents.

Establish a juvenile justice advisory board to advise the commission and the judiciary on juvenile justice system needs; and a citizens restorative justice board to divert minor offenses from the juvenile justice system.

Establish a youth advocates program from Southeast Missouri State University to assist in program services

Expand a functional family therapy program to provide family support services.

Expand core services that create cognitive and emotional change in offenders.

Construct an 11-bed, "staff-secured" facility. Fill gaps in the circuit for youth who require shelter, residential substance abuse treatment and day treatment for emotionally disturbed children.

Construct seven short-term holding beds to provide assessment, medical isolation, crisis/suicide to youth to reduce out-of-county trips.

Build a 10-bed secure detention facility: a replacement of the existing facility, which is currently outdated.

The commission's next meeting is 9 a.m. Thursday.

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635