Published: February 26, 2008 11:28 pm         

New eyes will be in place at juvenile center by end of week

Cameras should be in place by Thursday

TERRE HAUTE — More eyes will be on the youth and staff of Vigo County’s Juvenile Justice Center by the end of this week, officials said Tuesday.

A plan approved by the county board of commissioners in January to upgrade center security should be completed Thursday, according to executive director Lynn B. Austin.

“Basically, I wanted it for the security of the children and the staff,” Austin said.

The $45,000 project includes 22 new security cameras inside the facility, seven new cameras outside, three electric-lock doors, as well as replacement cameras for two of the 17 already in place.

Prior to the project, the facility had no outdoor cameras and staff had to conduct perimeter checks.

Austin noted that the center has been considering the upgrade for a few years, but previous bids had been as high as $150,000.

OneTouch Security Plus of Lafayette won the recent bid for the new equipment, with $2,000 of the total project funded by grant money, making it extremely affordable, Austin said. The most expensive aspect of the project is the computerized surveillance system.

Concerns about security occur on a “consistent basis,” she added.

Parents trying to smuggle illegal drugs to their children, climbing perimeter fences attempting to communicate with detainees, and ex-detainees threatening to kill staff members keep the workers on constant guard.

Austin said it wasn’t too long ago that a former detainee threatened to drive a truck through the building’s front doors, and considering what types of crimes are represented by the juveniles in custody, all threats must be taken seriously.

“Last year, we averaged just under 17 children per day,” she said, noting that ages range from 11 to 18.

Many of the juveniles stand accused of “what society calls the most heinous crimes,” Austin said, naming off child molesting, armed robbery, stabbings and “a lot of crimes of violence.”

The new cameras not only help keep drug-smugglers out, but they also provide a “deterrent” to those kids who want to assault each other and the staff within the facility, Austin said.

The system also allows takes the guesswork out of trying to determine whether in-house complaints and accusations are legitimate or not, she said.

The center, at 202 Crawford St., was opened in 2001.

Brian Boyce can be reached at (812) 231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.