Stoddard County juvenile center poised to become regional facility

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A recent decision by the Circuit Court Budget Committee to close two juvenile detention centers in Southeast Missouri paves the way for the Stoddard County Juvenile Detention Center to become a regional facility. After a study by the CCBC, it was announced that the state would end funding for detention centers in Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff. A total of six facilities are to lose state funding.

A news release from the CCBC stated their effort was to "enhance the state's juvenile detention efforts by focusing on alternatives to detention, where appropriate, and by reducing the number of staff in six historically underutilized detention facilities in the state". The proposed changes would not take effect until Jan. 1, 2012.

Besides Poplar Bluff and Cape Girardeau, other centers scheduled to stop receiving state funding are in Bolivar, Sedalia, Union and Warrensburg. There are 35 multicounty juvenile detention facilities in the state.

Dennis Fowler, superintendent of the detention center, believes that the Stoddard County Juvenile Detention Center is in a position to serve as a regional facility, which would save taxpayers money.

"[The CCBC representatives['] toured all the facilities and they really liked our facility," said Fowler said.

He said the representatives were impressed with the technology and efficiency of the Stoddard County center, which opened in the Justice Building in 2001.

The detention center serves the 35th Circuit Court District which includes Dunklin County. It also houses detainees from Wayne County and the Division of Youth Services. The state pays wages for many of the employees, but Stoddard County also provides funding. Dunklin County pays an annual flat fee of $45,000 to house juvenile detainees at the center. The center has a capacity to house 25 juveniles.

Fowler said the facility has an average population of around eight or nine juveniles with a capacity for 25. The center serves juveniles between the ages of 14 and 16 years. Fowler says some detainees placed by the courts are younger, but they do not house anyone 17 years or older.

There are two full-time employees at the facility 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Some part-time employees paid by the county are used to help fill in as needed on the schedule, Fowler said.

Also the Bloomfield School District provides a full-time certified teacher and a teacher's aide for detainees. Every effort is made to assure that the detainee keeps up with schoolwork, Fowler said.

Fowler said all detainees are held for 24 hours before the Bloomfield School District is contacted. After the school is notified, the teacher, Maddie Reed, requests any records from a previous school so that they can begin to assess the educational needs of the juvenile. Reed teaches all subjects and instruction is done on a one-on-one basis with each detainee. Reed says that a computer program used by the school district is a big asset in tailoring a curriculum for the student. Tests are administered as needed. Reed is assisted by an aide.

Fowler said security is a top priority and there is little contact between detainees in the center, which is by design.

"We have a fairly secure facility," he said.

Fowler said the detention center provides short-term housing for these juveniles until their cases are adjudicated in the courts.

"The average stay for a detainee is around three to four weeks," he said. "Anything over three months is very unusual."