"There was a time when young people would land in "juvee" for crimes as minor as shoplifting, marijuana use and fights on school grounds. That approach existed even when Tamara Gusman-Taylor, director of Martinez's Juvenile Hall, started working in juvenile justice 18 years ago. But times have changed. "That's not the juvenile halls of today - it's not what you see in the movies or on TV," Gusman-Taylor said."
"That's why Esa Ehmen-Krause, who was appointed Contra Costa County's Chief Probation Officer in 2020, finds symbolism in the planned demolition of the county's old juvenile hall - built in the 1950s and expanded in the 1970s to house hundreds of young offenders. Tearing down the building, she said, adds momentum to larger efforts to restructure juvenile services, creating paths out of facilities that were once designed to house youth for long periods of time."
Contra Costa County plans to demolish its 46,000-square-foot old juvenile hall, built in the 1950s and expanded in the 1970s, because of long-term vacancy, contamination and decay. Occupants moved to a new site about two decades ago, leaving asbestos, lead and mold to fester while the building attracted break-ins, vandalism and theft. County supervisors approved demolition plans two years ago and bidding for the estimated $6.2 million construction contract begins in early December with pre-bid meetings under way. Officials describe demolition as symbolic of a shift toward rehabilitative, age-appropriate, program-focused services for serious juvenile offenders and restructuring of juvenile services.
Read at The Mercury News
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