Post by admin on Jan 29, 2010 5:27:53 GMT -5
www.app.com/article/20100128/NEWS/1280376/Monmouth-County-freeholders-vote-to-close-youth-detention-center
Monmouth County freeholders vote to close youth detention center
By BOB JORDAN • FREEHOLD BUREAU • January 28, 2010
FREEHOLD — The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders in a party-line vote passed a resolution Thursday night to shut down the county's youth detention center by July 1, a move majority Republicans claim will save about $2 million per year as part of a contract with Middlesex County to house detainees there. Fifty-six detention officers and other staffers will lose their jobs.
Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry said Middlesex has a modern facility with superior educational and recreation programs.
"This is not a cash for kids measure," Burry said. "While it is true there are substantial savings which we cannot discount, especially in this economy, our focus should be, and is, on the many benefits this shared service provides for our troubled youth."
The center in Freehold Township — which Burry said is 40 years old and would require $12 million in capital improvements if kept open — had an average daily detainee population of 25 in 2009. The number of detainees has dropped significantly in recent years after Monmouth became one of the first counties in the state to adopt a program that relies on alternatives to detention of young people whose alleged offenses are not considered serious or chronic.
The county will pay Middlesex County $2.5 million per year for detention services at its center in North Brunswick. That will reduce Monmouth's average monthly cost per detainee to $11,575 from $18,200, according to Burry.
But Democrat John D'Amico Jr., who voted against the measure along with colleague Amy Mallet in the 3-2 vote, said the savings are overstated. D'Amico outlined a number of instances in the new contract that could trigger higher costs.
D'Amico also questioned why privatizing the adult Monmouth County Jail isn't being considered as a budget-cutting measure. D'Amico estimated that having a company take control of the county-run jail would save between $4.7 million and $9.4 million per year "without jeopardizing public safety," he said.
The adult jail has a $47 million annual budget that "could be slashed as a result of reduced salaries, fringe benefits and other labor-related savings," D'Amico said.
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The youth detention center's staff is about one-fifth of the size of the adult jail's staff.
Detention Officer Owen Williams, shop steward for Communications Workers of America Local 1032, said, "We only have two unions and never had a political agenda. It's unfair that there's cherry-picking being done and we're picked on."
Deputy Administrator Teri O'Connor said an agreement is being worked with a third unnamed county to handle overflow on days when Monmouth needs more than 37 beds, which is the maximum Middlesex will provide.
Mallet said the resolution vote should have been put off until the overflow contingency plan and other items were settled.
"We had a couple of days last summer when we had over 40 detainees. If we don't have an overflow plan in place, we'll have to keep our detention center open at the same time we're paying Middlesex County under this agreement," D'Amico said. "We only got the contract to review Tuesday evening and learned on Wednesday there would be a vote. I think there's a rush to try to ram this through before all the concerns are fully aired."
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Monmouth County freeholders vote to close youth detention center
By BOB JORDAN • FREEHOLD BUREAU • January 28, 2010
FREEHOLD — The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders in a party-line vote passed a resolution Thursday night to shut down the county's youth detention center by July 1, a move majority Republicans claim will save about $2 million per year as part of a contract with Middlesex County to house detainees there. Fifty-six detention officers and other staffers will lose their jobs.
Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry said Middlesex has a modern facility with superior educational and recreation programs.
"This is not a cash for kids measure," Burry said. "While it is true there are substantial savings which we cannot discount, especially in this economy, our focus should be, and is, on the many benefits this shared service provides for our troubled youth."
The center in Freehold Township — which Burry said is 40 years old and would require $12 million in capital improvements if kept open — had an average daily detainee population of 25 in 2009. The number of detainees has dropped significantly in recent years after Monmouth became one of the first counties in the state to adopt a program that relies on alternatives to detention of young people whose alleged offenses are not considered serious or chronic.
The county will pay Middlesex County $2.5 million per year for detention services at its center in North Brunswick. That will reduce Monmouth's average monthly cost per detainee to $11,575 from $18,200, according to Burry.
But Democrat John D'Amico Jr., who voted against the measure along with colleague Amy Mallet in the 3-2 vote, said the savings are overstated. D'Amico outlined a number of instances in the new contract that could trigger higher costs.
D'Amico also questioned why privatizing the adult Monmouth County Jail isn't being considered as a budget-cutting measure. D'Amico estimated that having a company take control of the county-run jail would save between $4.7 million and $9.4 million per year "without jeopardizing public safety," he said.
The adult jail has a $47 million annual budget that "could be slashed as a result of reduced salaries, fringe benefits and other labor-related savings," D'Amico said.
(2 of 2)
The youth detention center's staff is about one-fifth of the size of the adult jail's staff.
Detention Officer Owen Williams, shop steward for Communications Workers of America Local 1032, said, "We only have two unions and never had a political agenda. It's unfair that there's cherry-picking being done and we're picked on."
Deputy Administrator Teri O'Connor said an agreement is being worked with a third unnamed county to handle overflow on days when Monmouth needs more than 37 beds, which is the maximum Middlesex will provide.
Mallet said the resolution vote should have been put off until the overflow contingency plan and other items were settled.
"We had a couple of days last summer when we had over 40 detainees. If we don't have an overflow plan in place, we'll have to keep our detention center open at the same time we're paying Middlesex County under this agreement," D'Amico said. "We only got the contract to review Tuesday evening and learned on Wednesday there would be a vote. I think there's a rush to try to ram this through before all the concerns are fully aired."
Next Page1| 2Previous Page