Tulsa World: Steps taken to construct new prison for juveniles

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Steps taken to construct new prison for juveniles

By GINNIE GRAHAM World Staff Writer
Published: 9/19/2009 2:30 AM
Last Modified: 9/19/2009 4:07 AM

The Board of Juvenile Affairs is moving toward building a new maximum-security juvenile facility in the state.

To pay for the center, one of the agency's three existing facilities would have to close, officials said. They have not commented on which facility is most likely to be shut down.

The agency operates the L.E. Rader Center in Sand Springs — now the state's only maximum-security prison for juveniles — as well as the Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Tecumseh and the Southwestern Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Manitou.

The cost of a new center is unknown until the requests are presented.

The board will send out requests for proposals next month for building a 150-bed medium- to maximum-security center. The motion passed Friday by a 4-2 vote, with members Linda Ware Toure and Gary Taylor voting no, and members Hastings Seigfried, Deanna Hartley-Kelso, Edward Smith and George Lindley in favor.

A proposal to ask private and nonprofit groups for proposals to manage the facility died for lack of a motion.

"Score one for the employees," said Scott Barger, deputy director of the Oklahoma Public Employees Association. "The board passed a message to the employees that they are doing a fantastic job, and they are exploring the possibility of a new facility. It is a good day."

Rep. Lucky Lamons, D-Tulsa, told board members that Rader has an important financial role in Sand Springs. He said residents fear that its closure would repeat problems posed by the

vacant former Hissom Memorial Center, which was an institution for people with developmental disabilities until its closure was ordered by a federal judge in 1987.

Gov. Brad Henry signed a measure in June to clear the way for the vacant center's demolition.

Lamons, who represents part of Sand Springs, said he might propose legislation requiring the Board of Juvenile Affairs to raze or pay for the upkeep of a closed facility.

Sand Springs residents "are extremely upset over the conditions of Hissom," Lamons said. "It has been vacant since 1987 and is an albatross on the city."

Several Rader employees spoke out against the proposal for private management of a new center.

When asked, employees agreed that the Rader Center is aging and was not built to handle the type of violent inmates and mental-health issues in the current juvenile population.

Two employees suggested building the new center on land next to Rader or renovating the existing facility to modern standards.

Office of Juvenile Affairs Executive Director Gene Christian said a new center would handle up to 150 juveniles, based on a recent federal lawsuit against the agency and on national standards.

But all the existing centers are under capacity, he said, adding that Rader has an average population of 101, about one-third of whom are older than 18.

The Rader Center's design doesn't give staff members the option of peeling away older, adult-age offenders from the younger groups, Christian said. The juveniles are housed in cottages, or pods, rather than in individual dorm rooms.

Christian pointed out a recent report showing a 43 percent increase in reported assaults at Rader after the facility was placed under federal oversight a year ago.

He said the increase may be from staff stepping in more quickly in potentially violent situations between juveniles.

"I am very concerned about our people," Christian said. "Our youth have outgrown these facilities. That's a concern about safety. The only thing we can put between two kids fighting at Rader is staff. I think that's wrong."

Rader has the capacity for 94 medium-security beds, 42 maximum-security beds, six special-care beds and six behavioral health beds.

Ginnie Graham 581-8376
ginnie.graham@tulsaworld.com By GINNIE GRAHAM World Staff Writer

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	Report Comment MSLGW, Tulsa (9/19/2009 8:30:18 AM) Sure, lets spend more money. Close a facility and build another. Makes perfect sense. Typical law makers reasoning. Who gets the contract? Follow the money trail. If they really want to create jobs. Tear them all down and build new ones.
	Report Comment oldrustytulsa, Tulsa (9/19/2009 9:26:01 AM) One-third are older than 18 years old,Something wrong with this picture?Heck thats old enough to vote.
	Report Comment Tulsonian, (9/19/2009 9:27:02 AM) The Republicans are in power so they have to get the prisons built in their towns before they get term limited.
	Report Comment Darkstar, (9/19/2009 10:42:31 AM) Seems like a waste unless we are serious about keeping these kids off the streets. Apparently by being juveniles they cannot be held accountable for their actions. Until we are ready to deal with the problem, a new maximum-security facility will be a joke. The inmates have all the rights. The inmates will only run the assylum. Seems to me.
	Report Comment MSLGW, Tulsa (9/19/2009 10:51:52 AM) As for building a new facility that is BS...this Raiders should be upgraded and sits on a lot of land to build on additions. This could open up and create job opportunities for a community like Sand Springs who has been hit hard by the economy. Then the jobs lost if Raiders is closed will be detrimental to this community as well.
	Report Comment blueeyecherokee, (9/19/2009 5:30:58 PM) I am all for building a new facility. I agree with the employees at Rader, build the new facility on the existing Rader land. This obviously will save money and save the jobs of the employees at Rader.

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