SANDPOINT, ID. -- By Friday, Bonner County officials could learn the future of it's makeshift juvenile detention center.
Voters rejected a multi-million dollar bond back in August to upgrade the facility, which is basically just a converted house.
Thursday, the Idaho Department of Corrections did its annual inspection of the building. Commissioner Lewis Rich said he should know Friday the future of the Juvenile Justice Center. Commissioners said there is a chance the detention facility could be shut down. Bonner County has tried for years to upgrade the center. The converted four-bedroom house has held young offenders for more than 10 years. While state inspectors have never found problems with the programs, it says the facility is inadequate. The more serious juvenile criminals in Bonner County are usually sent to Kootenai County, which costs up to $178 per day, per inmate. In the past, the state let the building stay open with the hope a bond would pay for a new center. But the August election saw voters soundly reject the latest proposal, and the county is concerned it may have to shut the facility down.
