Occupancy a key to need for juvenile center

The Cape Girardeau County Commission, struggling with whether to invest in a new juvenile detention center for the 32nd Judicial Circuit, until recently has been giving mixed signals on where it stands on the matter.

The commission and circuit judges and juvenile authorities are at odds over whether to build the center. The estimated cost started at $4.3 million for a 38-bed center, but consideration is also being given to a 20-bed center that would cost $2.7 million. The commission in 2000 paid $275,000 for nine acres in an industrial area west of South Kingshighway as a site for a new center.

The circuit includes Cape Girardeau, Perry and Bollinger counties. But because of its size, Cape Girardeau County would pay for the bulk of the cost. Under state law, the circuit court can dictate its own budget, which includes juvenile office operations, but the county commission approves county spending.

Just back from a meeting in late December at St. Louis with the Missouri Judicial Finance Commission, which resolves budget disputes like this one between county governments and circuit judges, presiding commissioner Gerald Jones gave all indications that the commission would agree to a new juvenile detention center providing the price was right and it could handle the costs.

But a couple of weeks later, the other two commissioners -- Joe Gambill and Larry Bock -- said they aren't ready to give the OK to a new center even if it could be built for $2.7 million. They contend the existing 27-year-old center is more than sufficient to house the few juveniles kept there and claim that in recent months more youths have been sent to the center as a ploy to create the appearance that it is too small.

The presiding commissioner agreed, saying it is obvious juvenile authorities are "stockpiling juveniles to show a bigger need." Nevertheless, he said he favors a new center for $2.7 million if the county can afford it, because a new one eventually will be needed.

Randy Rhodes, the 32nd Judicial Circuit's chief juvenile officer, denies that occupancy has been deliberately increased to show the need for a new center. Instead, he said more juveniles have been taken into custody in recent months.

Fewer than half of the 10 cells in the center near downtown were filled most days during the first seven months of 2001. Last summer, only two juveniles a day on average were housed there. Police took 366 juveniles into custody during the first half of last year. During the last six months of the year, that number climbed to more than 460. Since reopening last month after renovations, the center has been filled to near capacity, housing an average of nine juveniles a day.

While it is obvious the commission is divided over the matter, the issue of occupancy remains the key consideration for a new center. And one month of nearly a full house at the existing juvenile center isn't nearly long enough to determine whether a new center is needed.