The Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center will shut down at the end of August. This means almost 40 young people must transfer to other locations in neighboring counties. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice notified families, lawyers, and groups on Wednesday, which leaves roughly two and a half weeks to get ready.
Amanda Slama speaks for the state agency. She said the youth will go to existing centers in nearby counties. Officials haven’t revealed which buildings will accept them or how far these places might be from Hillsborough County.
The shutdown connects to plans for a new center and the property’s future use. That land has been picked as the top spot for a possible new Tampa Bay Rays stadium.
Tampa attorney Anthony Rickman said the relocation could spark trouble for families, lawyers, the Public Defender’s Office, and the State Attorney’s Office. Many questions linger about how this will affect court trips, attorney meetings, family visits, and access to programs that help these kids recover.
“You worry about, number one, the safety. You worry about the overcrowding. And then you worry about what type of resources these juvenile offenders are gonna be provided,” Rickman told Fox 13 News.
He asked how young defendants would get to court hearings. He wondered how their basic needs would get met if they end up miles away. “If you’re placing a child farther away from home because you don’t have a facility close to them, and they’re not seeing their parents, they don’t know their support system, and have someone visiting, what does that do for a child in the long run?” Rickman said.
Safe and Sound Hillsborough helps young people in detention recover and get support. Freddy Barton runs the group. He said moving these kids will pull them away from their families and lawyers.
“You’re taking the kids further away from their families. You’re further away from legal representation. We understand that. And kids, even though we have connectivity over Zoom where they could have contact with their families or legal representation, they need that tangible in-person interaction,” Barton said.
Slama said the department is working with different groups to lessen the blow on young people and keep services running. No one knows when a new center might be built.