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Hillsborough juvenile detention center closing
A Hillsborough County juvenile detention center is closing at the end of the month. Nearly 40 kids will be moved to facilities in surrounding counties. FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice says the Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center will close at the end of August.
Families, attorneys and organizations working with young people in Hillsborough County's juvenile justice system are being given just weeks to prepare for the planned closure of the county's juvenile detention center. Those impacted by the decision say they were informed Wednesday, leaving roughly two and a half weeks to figure out what happens next.
Closing Tampa facility
What we know:
Nearly 40 young people are currently housed at the Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center. Amanda Slama, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, said the youth will be placed at existing detention centers in surrounding counties.
Missing facility relocation details
What we don't know:
The department has not yet identified which facilities will receive the young people or how far those facilities could be from Hillsborough County. There is also no timeline for when a new Hillsborough juvenile detention center could be completed.
It remains unclear how the closure could affect court transportation, attorney visits, family visitation and access to rehabilitation programs. Tampa attorney Anthony Rickman says the move could create challenges for families, attorneys, the Public Defender's Office and the State Attorney's Office.
"You worry about, number one, the safety. You worry about the overcrowding. And then you worry about what type of resources these juvenile offenders are gonna be provided," Rickman said.
He also questioned how young defendants would be transported to court and how their basic needs would be handled if they are moved farther away.
"If you're placing a child farther away from home because you don't have a facility close to them, and they're not seeing their parents, they don't know their support system, and have someone visiting, what does that do for a child in the long run?" Rickman said.
Site tied to stadium plans
The backstory:
DJJ says the closure is part of a long-planned transition to a new juvenile detention center and is connected to the future use of the property where the current facility is located. That property has been identified as the top choice for a potential new Tampa Bay Rays stadium.
The department says it is working with stakeholders to minimize the impact on young people and maintain continuity of detention services.
State outlines transition strategy
What they're saying:
Amanda Slama, Florida DJJ spokesperson, provided the following statement:
"The closure of the Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center is part of a long-planned effort to transition to a new juvenile detention center and related to the future use of the property on which the current facility is located. As part of this transition, youth currently served at Hillsborough RJDC will be placed at existing detention centers in surrounding counties.
The department is committed to ensuring the impact of this transition on youth is minimal and that they will continue to receive appropriate care, supervision, and services. The department is working closely with stakeholders to facilitate a seamless transition and ensure continuity of detention services and operations."
The other side:
Safe and Sound Hillsborough is among the organizations affected by the closure. The group works with young people in detention to help rehabilitate them and provide support.
"You're taking the kids further away from their families. You're further away from legal representation. We understand that. And kids, even though we have connectivity over Zoom where they could have contact with their families or legal representation, they need that tangible in-person interaction," said Freddy Barton, Safe and Sound Hillsborough’s Executive Director. "We've got to look at what can be done. What can we do to make sure that kids are connected with their family's and legal representation? And so we're going to try to work with our court system, DJJ, our law enforcement partners, to at least try to with some of those youth that are lower level, that wouldn't necessarily warrant a full term and secure confinement."
Safe and Sound Hillsborough's executive director says he is hopeful judges will consider allowing more young defendants to serve their time in rehabilitation programs like those offered by his organization instead of being held in detention farther away.
The Source: Information for this story came from the Florida DJJ and interviews with Safe and Sound Florida’s Executive Director Freddy Barton and Tampa attorney Anthony Rickman.