3 days ago
One year later, questions remain about Highland Detention at Shuman
Highland Detention at Shuman, previously known as the Shuman Juvenile Detention Center, reopened last summer with the promise of taking serious juvenile offenders off the street.
But after a partial opening, with 12 beds for juvenile offenders, construction stopped while Allegheny County says it's developing a new vision for the center. However, the delays are increasing costs and rankling police, prosecutors and judges.
More than a year ago, Highland Detention at Shuman reopened with the promise of getting the more serious offenders off the street.
But since opening in July of last year with 12 detention beds, the renovation of four additional pods and another 48 beds has been on hold.
District Judge Jim Motznik says those beds are needed now to detain juveniles, especially those accused of gun crimes.
"When there's a weapon involved, that person is a danger to the community, no matter what age. And when they're 17 and younger, they need to get into a facility," Motznik said.
After the state revoked its license in 2021, Shuman closed for three years before reopening last year under a $72 million, five-year contract with the non-profit company Adelphoi to run it under a new name. Under the agreement, the county and state are responsible for the renovations.
But after completing the first pod, sources say the county has been reassessing the design to ensure the detainees receive proper counseling and therapy.
In a statement, the county says it has "moved expeditiously and engaged a number of stakeholders to plan the next stages of construction and a new vision for what Allegheny County's juvenile detention center could and should be. The plan was never to rush to reopen a sub-standard facility that repeated all the mistakes and failures of the past."
But while construction is delayed, the costs are going up. Allegheny County Controller Corey O'Connor said the original construction estimate has risen from $30 million to $57 million. And sources say representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services met on Wednesday with the county to prod it along.
But the police and judge have grown impatient. They say every bed is needed to take serious juvenile offenders off the street for their own protection and the protection of the community.
