Budget cuts would lead to closure of several juvenile justice facilities

About 80 percent of offenders who go to the work camp do not commit a new felony a year after their time there, and about 50 percent haven’t committed a new misdemeanor, according to statistics from the department. The camp, located in Draper with 40 beds for boys and 10 for girls, sends offenders out to places like the Salt Lake Equestrian Center, which has hired some of those teens, to do work. Offenders generally stay an average of 62 days and 247 youths were admitted last year. The center serves a large number of rural teens, too.

A suggested $5.6 million budget cut would result in the closure of the Cedar City and Blanding Youth Receiving Centers. The nearest center from Cedar City is a 106-mile roundtrip and the one nearest Blanding is a 380-mile roundtrip. Officers currently can drop off unruly youths or those who commit minor or nonchargeable crimes and get back to patrolling within 20 minutes. For the children, the centers provide a place to go after a family fight to cool down and assess their home situation and needs, including free treatment for substance abuse or mental health.

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