Taylor commissioners examining proposed state juvenile pre-adjudication facility

Taylor County commissioner took no action Tuesday on a notice received from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department concerning a proposed state facility for juvenile offenders here, though county officials and judges stated such a project could cause a myriad of issues.

On Nov. 15, the department sent a letter to Allison Stafford, the county's chief probation officer, indicating it is considering Abilene as a site for a 48-56 bed pre-adjudication facility.

The facility would essentially duplicate a 22-bed juvenile facility already in Taylor County, bringing in juveniles from other counties.

A close look

While it could appear such a project might be a net positive in terms of bringing jobs to the area, the effect on Taylor County is both potentially significant and negative, 350th District Court Judge Thomas Wheeler told the court Tuesday.

Staffing issues are foremost among the concerns, he said.

The existing facility already competes with the Taylor County Jail, the prison system and others for employees, he said, while working conditions make it difficult to keep staff.

Wheeler said the proposed project affects the county directly in several ways, including Stafford potentially needing to ask for more money for salaries to be competitive.

In addition, a 14- page report on the proposed project contains a feasibility study regarding construction here, Wheeler said.

While it talks about the cost of building the facility, it "has nothing (about) operations," Wheeler said.

"We don't know who's going to be paying for the prosecutorial expenses, the defense expenses, some of the operational expenses related to that," he said.

Around 20 years ago or so, a post adjudication facility here initially funded by the state seemed a net positive until funding decreased through the years, he recalled.

"When I became a judge, we released about $500,000 a year operating this post adjudication facility," Wheeler said. "About the time that this court decided to shut it down, I think it was $644,000."

Wheeler said he and others are concerned such a scenario might happen again, while "prosecutorial costs and defense costs might be dumped on to the county."

"That would not be an unusual circumstance based on state actions," he said.

Other issues

There is also is a shortage of attorneys to represent juveniles here, Wheeler said, meaning an additional facility could strain those legal resources further.

"It is not unusual for kids that are brought here to put in our local facility to have another offense," Wheeler said, often assault-related.

Adding the proposed facility to the mix could create new cases that would have to be handled in Taylor County, stemming from juveniles that don't reside here, he said.

Commissioners to revisit project

Commissioners and new County Judge Phil Crowley, who was presiding over his first meeting, plan to revisit the project with a formal action supporting or opposing it after discussions with state representatives.

"The state's going to do what the state wants to do, but I think it'd be appropriate for us to state our position," Crowley said. "... I think we should do it relatively quickly."

Commissioner Chuck Statler said he was concerned with county employees potentially being poached by another facility, adding that there are mandatory staffing requirements for the county's jail and juvenile detention facilities.

Further employee shortages could put the county in a bind in terms of meeting those numbers, he said.

"(And) I'm not prepared to deal with another unfunded mandate," Statler said.

Commissioner Randy Williams, too, was not supportive of the proposed project, citing a number state facilities in the area and elsewhere that have ultimately closed or are not being used for their intended purpose.

"I have great concern just because of my experience seeing how the state has operated over the years," he said. "They shut down facilities sometimes when they could go in and fix whatever the problems are."

Williams said the county, two area prisons and a psychiatric facility in Taylor County already compete for employees.

He believed there were more appropriate locations for this facility, such as Big Spring or Lubbock.

"We can see that our labor market is already pressed to be able to provide us with the people that we already need for our existing facilities," he said. "... I don't think I want an empty building sitting out here in 10 years."

"We can see that our labor market is already pressed to be able to provide us with the people that we already need for our existing facilities," he said. "... I don't think I want an empty building sitting out here in 10 years."

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Commissioners examining proposed juvenile pre-adjudication facility