Carson City Juvenile Center found to lack basic safety measures like sprinkler system, emergency access and more

The Carson City Board of Supervisors will hear a presentation regarding a review of the Carson City Juvenile Detention Center, which underwent a needs assessment.

Within the review, it was determined the facility is outdated, non-compliant with several federal and state standards, and lacks basic safety measures like sprinkler systems and emergency access roads.

Architects previously began a review of the Carson City Juvenile Detention Center, which included a facility needs assessment as well as developing a comprehensive plan for expanding the existing facility, as well as constructing a new facility.

The new facility would be constructed in a phased approach in order to satisfy industry standards, and meet the current and future operational needs of the Carson City Department of Juvenile Services.

According to the review, the needs assessment will provide a strategic vision and outline how Juvenile Services can best utilize its resources to serve the youth and families involve in the juvenile justice system.

The assessment also considers the renovation or phase-out of the current facility that is outdated, unsafe and non-compliant.

The scope of the assessment includes Juvenile Detention, Juvenile Probation and First Judicial District Court.

Non-compliance issues stem from several federal and state mandates which have been passed over the decades, including the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and COVID-19 isolation necessities.

ISSUES WITH THE DETENTION CENTER

The Murphy Bernardini Detention Center first opened in 1979, at which point the population of Carson City was only 32,000 people. The facility was designed with two wings, one for boys that included 12 rooms, and one for girls that included 6 rooms.

At that time, youth could be doubled up in the rooms in order to stretch the maximum capacity. However, in 2003 PREA was passed that made it so youth could only be placed in single room/single bed occupancy, limiting the facility to 18 total beds.

Due to the design of the building as well as the PREA mandates regarding required video monitoring, the building quickly became non-compliant, according to the review.

The current building also has no fire sprinkler system, the electrical system is not sufficient to power the needs of contemporary security, there is limited internet and network infrastructure, the HVAC system is past its service life, and there is no compliant emergency access road around the building.

“The size, design, and age of the 40-year-old facility make it difficult to operate the Detention Center in a safe, therapeutic, and cost-effective manner,” the review states.

The facility has also seen an increase in youth with mental health issues, and there is limited space to house those individuals; in addition, the facility became “quickly overwhelmed” by COVID-19 mandates due to forced isolation, with limited space to do so.

According to the review, “It is anticipated that the mental health numbers will continue to increase in detention, with little to no capacity to house the youth.”

In 2017, there were 430 bookings in the facility, with 54 — or 12.56 percent — placed on suicide watch.

That percentage jumped significantly by 2021, with 60 percent of the 185 bookings being placed on suicide watch.

“The detention populations decreased significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the report states. “Intakes were limited to serious offenses only. However, despite the population count going down, mental health issues (within) the facility increased significantly.”

Length of stays also increased, from an average length of stay of 16 days in 2017, to 26 days in 2021.

Reconstruction of the building would provide increased bed capacity, increased and more functional operations related to mental health, and compliance with federal and state standards.

The courts portion of the building has seen growth that the building does not support, according to the review. The courtroom is not large enough for many of the hearings, and confidentiality is compromised by room location and acoustical construction.

Juvenile probation is also at capacity; it needs staff restrooms and a common area needs to be recaptured after it was converted to additional offices, according to the review.

THE NEW FACILITY

Phase 1 of the new Detention Center would include:

— Public

• Public Classroom and Training Room
• Dedicated pre-release area
• Separated no-contact visiting

— Exterior

• Outdoor recreation yard
• Garden
• Ropes Course

— Detention

• Staff administration area
• Intake are with 5 holding rooms and support spaces
• 22 housing beds in 3 wings with time out and day room
• Central control room
• Detention counseling and meeting rooms
• Detention classroom and multi-purpose room
• Commercial kitchen and food storage
• Medical unit with exam, office and med storage

Phase 2 would include:

— Public

• Secure entry and screening
• Security office
• Public courts lobby
• Conference rooms
• Family room
• Lactation Room

— Exterior

• Public parking
• Secure staff parking

— Detention

• Gymnasium
• Bailiff and juvenile holding
• Classrooms

— Courts

• Courtroom
• Courtroom consultation rooms
• Judicial shared offices
• Bailiff and adult holding
• Judicial clerks
• Judge’s chambers and support

Phases of the new Juvenile Probation Building would include offices, staff restrooms and conference rooms, a classroom and multi-purpose space, fingerprinting room, drug testing restroom, and more.

CONSTRUCTION COSTS

There are two options listed with their costs.

— Option 1
Design start would begin Aug. 2023 with occupancy beginning in Oct. 2026

• Phase 1 would cost $15.4 million
• Phase 1A $1.7 million
• Phase 2 $26 million

Option 1 total: $43,397,000

— Option 2
Design start would begin Aug. 2024 with occupancy beginning in Oct. 2027

• Phase 1 would cost $15.9 million
• Phase 1A $1.8 million
• Phase 2 $26.9 million

Option 2 total: $44,659,000

The Carson City Board of Supervisors will hear the presentation on Thursday.

To view the presentation in its entirety, please click here.