Youth Prison Plans Advance In NC
Construction of a prison for youth offenders in Wentworth NC could be one step closer after a meeting of top state officials today.
The Council of State, made up of the governor and nine other statewide elected officials, is due to accept a gift of about 20 acres from Rockingham County. The land would be used for a 32-bed youth development center that would be run by the N.C. Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention …
“It’s much more than just a prison in that it works for the kids with (mental health) counseling and they get their education there,” said department spokesman William Lassiter. “The whole purpose of it is much more therapeutic than you would think of in a normal prison setting … What we’re trying to do is build smaller facilities that are community-based.” That allows juvenile offenders to stay closer to home and lets members of the community volunteer to help mentor the young people.
More details in the Greensboro News-Record.
Juvenile Justice, North Carolina, Prison and Jail Construction