Stimulus funds may build juvenile detention centers LARAMIE, WY (wpr) - Wyoming is receiving about 14 million dollars in stimulus money that the state intends to spend on juvenile detention. Retired Judge Gary Hartman advises the Governor on juvenile justice issues. He says the Governor's main priority is building a new juvenile detention facility in Casper. The existing facility has been judged an unsafe place to keep youth. Hartman says the Governor also wants to spend some stimulus funds on building or updating other detention facilities around Wyoming, possibly in Sheridan, Rawlins, Jackson, and the Big Horn Basin.
"The gov's intention it to kind of spread that around, so we'll wait to see what application process brings before any final determination is made as to actually how much money goes to any particular facility."
Hartman says some parts of Wyoming could benefit from "staff-secure" facilities, which detain juveniles without locking them up. He says expanding detention options around Wyoming would help keep kids out of adult jails. Local governments would need to apply for the funding by the end of this year.
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