Full Speed Ahead: Department’s Replacement Facilities are Moving Forward

The General Assembly's special provision authorizing the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's phase I plan for replacing youth development centers (YDCs) is moving forward at full speed.  The building plan, which calls for the construction of one 96-bed replacement YDC in Cabarrus County on current land at Jackson YDC and three 32-bed YDCs in Lenoir, Edgecombe, and Chatham counties, is in progress and on schedule. 

The Department now owns all replacement sites and has received the necessary approvals from the appropriate State governing entities for Edgecombe County and Chatham County.  All sites have received approval from the appropriate local planning jurisdictions. 

The Edgecombe facility will be built on current Department of Correction land, the Chatham facility will be built on land provided by Chatham County, and the Lenoir YDC will be built at the current Dobbs location. 

The construction of these replacement facility buildings will become the foundation for an effective, community-oriented juvenile justice system.  By providing youth throughout North Carolina with smaller, community-connected facilities, the Department will more effectively assist youth with the tools needed to become productive members of North Carolina’s communities. 

These facilities will also offer a positive economic impact to the local communities  which they reside with each 32-bed facility providing approximately 62 jobs with an estimated annual operating budget of $3.1 million to the local community and the 96-bed facility planned for Cabarrus County providing approximately 173 jobs with an estimated $9.1 million to the local community.  The Department has recevied authorization to begin construction at the Cabarrus County site as of August 10, 2006.

Each of the five phase I replacement facilities are to be completed within the next 18 months.