Jail Study 2005-2006

Jail Study: Guilford County Juvenile Detention Center

In July, four members of the League of Women Voters Jail/Incarceration Committee visited the Guilford County Juvenile Detention Facility. It is the most advanced facility of its kind in NC. Marcos Segovia was the guide. All of the group’s personal items had to be left in a locker in the reception area.  Mr. Segovia was cordial and courteous.  He answered all questions asked of him.  The visit was an important addition to the Jail/Incarceration study.

The facility is designed to accommodate 60 inmates, ages 11 to 17.  There are currently 48 juvenile residents with a professional staff of at least 35 who work in three shifts around the clock.  The policy of the facility is to accept all Guilford County juvenile offenders sent here and to accept children from other counties when room is available.

The population averages 90% African-American, 2% Asian, 3% Hispanic, 4% Caucasian and 1% other.  There are usually only 5-10 females.

Children spend from one day to one and one-half years at this facility. Most residents have been in trouble before and have committed crimes such as assault, theft, property damage, etc.  Some of the adolescent girls are pregnant.

Physical Facility

Built in 1998, the one story red brick building is shaped like a labyrinth, surrounded by a high cyclone wire fence and is located at the end of a cul de sac on Lockheed Court. The entrance doors are opened by electronic signals. Mr. Segovia carried a cell phone/walkie-talkie communicator at all times. 

An observation station is situated across from the recreation/sports gym.  The observation station has monitors of all the adjacent areas.  The building is broken into "pods" with individual cells  for clients. 

Light and bright color is seen in the sports equipment, gym, the hallways, and the artwork displayed on the walls. 

Intake

The intake area to the facility for clients has a separate entrance and separate holding rooms for the  clients.  Medical personnel are on staff.  The kids are given a red shirt upon intake.  For the first 24 hours they are kept separated from the other residents.  The girls wear green shirts; the boys are divided into two groups, older boys wear dark or light blue and younger boys wear gray and white.  The clients appear to be very angry frightened children. 

Operations

The children are given a great deal of attention by staff.  Pods are checked every 15 minutes. Each pod has a large bright room that is furnished with resin lounges and stainless steel tables and stools. There are books, board games and a TV in each central room. Individual windowless, cement cells adjoin the central room.

Meals are prepared by staff in the cafeteria and served by staff on Styrofoam trays to the residents inside the central room of each area.

Each child is given new clothes (color coded) and fresh linen every day.  Each child has an 8 ft. by 6 ft cell.  The cell has one concrete bed with a vinyl covered mattress and pillow. If the client misbehaves, the mattress and pillow are removed.   Each cell has its own stainless steel commode and sink.

 Everyone gets a 4-5 minute shower every day in an individual stall.  There is a rigid daily schedule that everyone must follow.  The day starts at 5:30 am and ends at 9:30 P.M.  There is an equally rigid pattern for walking down the hallways with the clients shoulder against the wall.  This is to minimize any acting out against staff or another client. 

There is scheduled visitation with family.  To help the kids catch up with missed school work, there are classes, computers and a school teacher on staff.  Many different techniques are used by the staff to try and reach these kids.  Psychological counseling, positive re-enforcement (rewards and privileges) arts and crafts, sports, etc. are just a few of the avenues used to make a connection with these children.

Safety 

Some children threaten suicide.  There are special precautions and clothing for this.  These children are required to wear a special dark quilted garment with velcro closings.  No clothing is allowed underneath this garment. Their pods are checked every 10 minutes by staff.  There is also a special green light placed outside of the cell.

The League members thank Mr. Segovia for the tour of the facility.

Note: In the Guilford County budget the Juvenile Detention Facility is listed under Court Alternatives. The recommended budget for 2006-7 is $2,701,238