Donations Sought to Bring Juvenile Hall Up to Par

In the wake of a county Health Department inspection that revealed serious overcrowding and cockroach problems at Juvenile Hall, the chief probation officer in charge of the detention facility is asking for $200,000 in donations to help paint and refurbish the aging facility.

“Don’t envision it (Juvenile Hall) to be as dirty as it has been described,” Cecil Steppe, the county’s chief probation officer, said Tuesday. “What is really the problem is the need for paint and refurbishing. I have 219 beds and have been 53% overcrowded for the better part of a year. I have children sleeping on mattresses on the floors, so there’s a lot of wear and tear on the facility.”

Inspectors were dispatched to examine the 54-year-old juvenile detention center Friday, after the Health Department received a telephone call reporting serious cockroach infestation. It was a single, surprise inspection, health officials said.

“On Friday, a member of the public called in, complaining that there were roaches at the Juvenile Hall,” said Dr. Donald Ramras, county health officer. “Our policy on environmental health issues is to respond to any kind of reasonable input from the public.”

Ramras said that the inspectors uncovered three “major deficiencies” at the Kearny Mesa facility: significant roach infestation; overcrowding, and the use of untrained inmates to handle food.

“Considering our society, it’s a rare facility that’s not overcrowded,” Ramras said. “And considering this facility’s age, it would be incredible for them not to have roach problems. But something does have to be done about it, without a doubt.”

The Friday inspection showed that 328 juveniles were housed at the facility--109 more than there is bed space for, Ramras said.

An extermination crew has been called to spray Juvenile Hall with insecticide, Steppe said, and a proposal is before the Board of Supervisors to reopen 100 beds at a county juvenile camp to help alleviate overcrowding at Juvenile Hall.

Refurbishing and staffing the extra bed space will cost an estimated $1.5 million. Steppe said he has made a proposal to the county and should have a decision around the end of June when the budget is approved.

“And we’re hoping that we’ll be able to take care of the painting and refurbishing through a program called ‘Adopt a Unit,’ ” he said.

Through the California Probation, Parole and Correctional Assn., a paint consultant has been hired to improve the facility using “the latest psychological information on color and light and their effects on people,” Steppe said.

He is seeking $200,000 from groups, individuals and corporations for the project. “We need this; it’s for their kids,” he said.

According to Dick Tillson, a Sacramento-based California Youth Authority spokesman, San Diego’s is not the only Juvenile Hall with crowding problems.

“We’ve been working with Los Angeles and San Diego and Riverside counties; those are the main counties that look to have the worst problems at this time,” Tillson said.

Tillson said that officials of the California Youth Authority--which governs Juvenile Hall in San Diego and similar institutions in other counties--have met with Steppe and are satisfied that the problem will be addressed.

“If institutions reach a point that they are so crowded it is unsafe, we have to inform them that it is too unsafe for minors,” Tillson said. “We have not done that in San Diego.”

The Health Department will return to Juvenile Hall here within a week or 10 days and inspect the facility again, to make sure that progress is being made to clear up the roach problems, Ramras said. However, because the facility is under the direction of the California Youth Authority, Health Department inspectors do not have the authority to cite the facility for unhealthful conditions.