New juvenile facility seen as a solution to a host of problems

The building at 2137 Rust Ave. in Cape Girardeau may not look like much to an average passer-by. But to Cape Girardeau County officials, it's the long-awaited solution to their juvenile problem.

The brick building was bought by the county in February to provide office and court space for juvenile-department employees of the 32nd Judicial Circuit.

It consolidates employees, department services and court proceedings in one location. For 25 years, employees have worked out of two locations: the former detention center at 325 Merriwether St. and the Common Pleas annex building, both in Cape Girardeau.

Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst, who has a background in law enforcement, said finding an adequate space for the department and juvenile court long has been among his top priorities. Building a facility was out of the question because of the expense, so the county's best hope was to find a place that could be renovated at a reasonable cost. At 10,000 square feet and a cost of $505,000, the building on Rust Avenue was "just perfect," he said.

"The first time I walked through the building, I was just, 'Oh my gosh,'" Herbst said.

The building at 2137 Rust Ave. will house Cape Girardeau's juvenile facility. (Laura Simon)

It fit all the spatial needs outlined by Treanor Architects when it finished a facility review study for the county in 2013. The location, situated outside of the busiest part of town but still easily accessible, also was appealing.

Chief juvenile officer Randy Rhodes has been with the department since 1987, taking the top leadership role in 1990.

He said having staff in one location will increase efficiency and lower costs, as deputy juvenile officers handle more than 1,200 referrals a year. But he said saying goodbye to the old sites will be hard. The county plans to sell the Merriwether property after the department has been relocated.

"We will miss the downtown feel and neighbors at the old detention center site on Merriwether," he said. "Also, the historic feel of the Common Pleas Courthouse and the connection with other branches of state and local government at that location has been very positive."

He already has started efforts to be a good neighbor to businesses near the Rust Avenue facility.

State grants allowed the department to buy six Mongoose fat-tire cruiser bikes and several used bike trailers to be used for trash pickup along the nearby Cape LaCroix Trail or Shawnee Park Center soccer fields.

Those who work for the juvenile department are state employees, but it's up to the county to provide their working space.

Besides Cape Girardeau County, Perry and Bollinger counties also are part of the 32nd Judicial Circuit.

Herbst said all of them are on board with the new facility, as is the state.

The Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator awarded the county a $20,000 grant to contribute to renovation costs, specifically the waiting-room area.

The 1,500-square-foot space would be made child-friendly, with child-size tables and chairs, plus an activities area. Child-size accommodations also would be built in the restrooms.

The grant proposal estimates 45 adults and 10 children will use the waiting area for court services once a week. Herbst said 60 people will be able to sit in the waiting room "just fine" once it's completed.

The waiting room at the new facility will offer an improved experience over waiting at the Common Pleas Courthouse, Herbst said, where juvenile and family drug court is held. The waiting area often is filled, with people overflowing to outdoor steps and benches. Juvenile victims and suspects have no place reserved for them on court days.

Designs for the new facility include a secure hallway from the waiting area to the courtroom. Attorney/client rooms also will be near the courtroom.

It takes a bit of imagination to picture the barren room in the back of the building as a courtroom, but Herbst can point to spaces that one day will hold benches or tables.

The judge's bench is being designed by Missouri Vocational Enterprises, a program within the Missouri Department of Corrections that encourages job training for incarcerated offenders and provides products and services to state agencies through offender labor.

An opening just beyond the space that one day will hold the judge's bench has little more than empty wooden shelves, but eventually it will be the judge's chambers. It comes with its own entrance, allowing for more security.

"So the judge can park and come right in there through the back," Herbst said.

Another door from the rear parking lot will serve as a secure entrance for juveniles to the courtroom. Herbst said the county wants to stress while court and other services will be available at the facility, "there will be no secure holding" of juveniles at the facility.

The old juvenile detention center on Merriwether Street has not held anyone in its cells since 2011. The front part of the building is used for offices and programming, while the cells in the back are used for storage.

The office and programming spaces could be described as tight, with staff making use of every inch.

That should be less of a problem at the new facility, which sits on two acres, Herbst said.

Rhodes said the programs the department offers are critical because they can cut down on recidivism.

"If a child makes a mistake and we can quickly get through the stages of remorse -- either of getting caught or doing the deed -- restitution and redirection, it is highly likely we will not see him or her referred again by the school, police or their own family," he said.

That's why the department seeks to offer variety in its programs, operating family therapy and coaching, a community service and restitution program, a summer job readiness and life skills program and more.

"Operation Payback" annually disburses more than $4,000 to victims of crime and allows participants to work off as many as 5,000 community service hours.

Under that program, youths could use the recently acquired Mongoose bikes to help pick up trash in the area or could be involved with the department's garden.

It produced 1,500 pounds of vegetables last year, and Rhodes hopes one day a large greenhouse could be built for year-round production.

The department's new location has ample space for a garden, which would have to be relocated from Merriwether, and a future greenhouse, if funding is secured.

Inside, space also has been marked off for a kitchen, where those who work in the garden can learn to prepare or can the food.

The kitchen at Merriwether is packed with large appliances and cooking supplies.

Most of the renovation work will be completed by county employees, with Treanor Architects on board to design the bathrooms and waiting rooms. Herbst said crews have a few projects on their list, but they hope to be finished with the renovations by November.

It's hard to predict what the future holds for juvenile services in the 32nd Judicial District, Rhodes said, but he looks forward to the move.

He has a few plans to maximize its potential including efforts to make the most of the transition from a residential area to a location near more business and industry.

"I am hoping we can reflect this change by stressing to children the importance of work and industry to their well-being and future," he said. "Our job readiness program and many of the other programs stress being on time, having a healthy focus for your life, the importance of finishing high school and, of course, obeying the community and state laws.

"The building itself is not as important as the programs and attitudes of the people inside it, though the county commission chose a perfectly sized building and grounds that will fulfill our mission perfectly."

srinehart@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

2137 Rust Ave., Cape Girardeau, Mo.

325 Merriwether St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.