The County of Humboldt will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, April 3 to celebrate the beginning of construction on a new Juvenile Hall facility. By replacing the current aging facility, the county can more effectively create a safe and supportive environment for young people who have entered the juvenile justice system.
The ceremony will be held at 2002 Harrison Street in Eureka and will begin at 10 a.m.
The existing Juvenile Hall was built in the late 1960s and first occupied in 1970. It has served the community well for nearly 50 years, but the needs of the youth and programs that must be delivered have changed in that time.
“The new juvenile hall will significantly improve the safety of all who enter the building, and will provide more appropriate program space to address the needs of youth who need to come into detention,” said Chief Probation Officer Bill Damiano. “Our new single-level design will be more accessible and will result in operational efficiencies not possible in the existing physical plant. In short, we’re excited about the improvements that have been made possible by this project and are certain that the new facility will serve our community well into the future.”
The new facility will be 19,000 square feet with 30 beds, six single-bed youth sleeping rooms and 12 double-bed youth sleeping rooms. The Juvenile Hall is a 24-hour building and staffing will remain the same at 14.4 positions, which meets the minimum staffing ratios for a 30-bed facility.
Additionally, the Humboldt County Office of Education provides a full-time teacher, full-time aide, and support services as needed for special education, health, alcohol and other drug staff, and school psychologist hours at the Juvenile Hall. The Department of Health and Human Services; Mental Health Branch provides a half-time clinician, children’s psychiatrist and psychiatric nurse support as needed to see youth in Juvenile Hall.
The total project contract is $15.3 million, and $12.9 million from Senate Bill 81 is being used to fund construction. Six local subcontractors will be working on this project. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in mid-August, 2018.