Officials with the local juvenile detention center said a recent proposal to construct a new facility would not only improve the operations with juvenile offenders, but it could also bring in more revenue for Yazoo County.
But some county leaders remain cautious of the project, stating that if a new facility could generate more funds, why aren’t other counties following suit.
Judge Betsy Cotton said the current juvenile facility, located at 217 S. Washington St., is an older facility with several issues. She said the last renovations were made in 1960. Presenting a very detailed, well-prepared proposal to the Yazoo County Board of Supervisors, she suggested the county board consider the construction of a more modern facility.
“I researched different floorplans of what would work best as a new facility,” Cotton said. “The best floorplan that I could find that would work for our purposes models the one that is in Pelahatchie, the Rankin County Juvenile Detention Center.”
Cotton first approached the previous county administration about relocating or improving the juvenile facility in February of 2023. An increase of juvenile-related offenders at the time prompted her to share with county leaders that the facility was “running out of space” with only two floors of zones, which can pose a problem when separating male and female offenders. The current detention center also houses juveniles from other counties, including Madison, Humphreys, Sunflower and Attala counties.
The proposal of a new facility included a control tower in the middle, raised three feet higher than the floors. There would be no blind spots in the zones other than where the offenders sleep. The layout would allow for more visibility.
“The detention center we have now was never designed to be a juvenile detention center,” Cotton said. “There are not actual classrooms in it, which we have created spaces where we can accommodate the classrooms.”
Currently, it is not uncommon for Cotton to turn her courtroom into a classroom, she added.
A new facility could also eliminate the issues that arise with juvenile offenders charged with adult crimes. When it comes to housing the offenders at the local juvenile detention center versus the county jail, federal law states that is not an option. Cotton said if she were to accept juveniles charged with adult crimes into the local detention center, the facility would be shut down.
A new facility would allow those offenders to be housed separately.
“They would be housed separately,” she said. “They would have their own classrooms, their own teachers, their own recreational yard, separate and apart from the other kids.”
The proposal would include a larger zone that could house 84 juveniles, along with two isolation wards. The separate zone could hold about 24 juveniles, along with its own two isolation wards. The proposal included additional teacher offices and classrooms.
Cotton said she and members of her staff toured the Rankin County Juvenile Detention Center and were impressed with their operations.
Cotton also said a new facility could generate more funds for Yazoo County with the option of holding more out-of-county offenders. The local facility already houses out-of-county offenders but is limited with space.
“There are only 12 juvenile detention centers in the entire state, and only nine of those take out-of-county kids,” Cotton said. “You have 82 counties, and they are trying to find a place to put their kids. It is a source of income for our county. This facility could probably be almost maxed out just housing out-of-county kids.”
Cotton said the current facility only has 26 beds available. The newer facility proposal could accommodate at least 80.
Dean Johnson, who oversees the local detention center, said he produced some figures using tracking software. He predicts the newer facility would cost about $1.3 to $1.7 million dollars to operate annually, including administrative costs.
“That is the total cost for utilities, food, the whole works,” Johnson said.
Johnson said the annual operation prediction includes staffing of about 56 employees. Currently, the facility staffs about 16 employees and operates annually with about $1.2 million dollars. But the increased spacing capabilities would allow the county to bring in more out-of-county offenders and the money that follows them, Johnson added.
Johnson also predicted an annual income of $8 million dollars for Yazoo County.
Supervisor Joseph Thomas Jr. said he had reservations about constructing a new facility, adding that if such facilities were “money-makers,” why weren’t other counties doing it.
“Madison County is one of the richest counties in Mississippi,” he said. “If it’s such a good idea, why aren’t they doing it? They follow success and where the money is so why not?”
“They are not going to build a juvenile detention center,” Cotton replied. “They absolutely refuse.”
“They want somebody else to handle their problems,” added Chancery Clerk Quint Carver.
“It’s cheaper for them to pay us to keep their kids than to build a facility and staff it,” admitted Cotton, which continued to draw reservations from Thomas.
But the big question at the table? How much would it cost to build a newer facility for Yazoo County? Cotton said since she did not retain the architect who worked with her, an estimate was not provided.
Supervisors then reminded each other that it took about $17 million dollars to construct the Yazoo County Regional Correctional Facility, adding that it was several years ago, and constructions costs have certainly increased since then. They also said the regional facility was painted as a “money-maker” as well, but that has not proven true.
The Herald reached out to Rankin County officials since its juvenile detention center was the model Cotton based her proposal. The Rankin County Juvenile Detention Center was constructed in 2010 at a cost of $9,896,605.
The operational costs for the Rankin County Detention Center for 2024 totaled $1,036,755.
The construction of a new facility was taken under advisement by the county board so that they could do more research on the matter. Some county leaders were reluctant to jump onboard with the idea, stating that they were concerned over the costs associated with the construction and operational costs. Even though $8 million dollars was predicted as annual income, some board members said they considered it a gamble, citing the current regional facility that was intended to bring in more revenue but is actually operating in the red at the moment.
However, the county board did approve a rate increase of $200 per juvenile, per day, to see what revenue increase it could produce in holding out-of-county offenders.
