New Mexico Juvenile Center
Jail Administrator Chris Barela told commissioners the facility is on track to open in May. It closed down due to the adult facility being short staffed.
He says since the closure, they’ve continued to actively recruit staff and they’ve upgraded the east wing to comfortably accommodate the kids. But Communities of Action and Faith leaders fear the well being of the children is still at risk.
Barela also denied accusations that kids are being relocated because of the closure. But CAFE supporters say they know of one incident where a juvenile was relocated.
“We’ve heard at least one testimony from a sister of assumption in Chapparal that a 15-year-old boy was relocated to Gallup and his family doesn’t have the means or ability to go see him,” Deidra Schaub, a cafe supporter, said.
“They are concerned that we are moving our juveniles as a result of the relocation to other communities as far as farmington, even further north sometimes,” Chris Barela said. “That’s an ugly rumor. I don’t know how it was generated. I don’t know who started it.”
Cafe supporters question that even if the juvenile facility is reopened in May, who’s to say this won’t happen again in the future? Barela tells ABC-7 with recent salary increases, he’s confident another closure will be prevented
