The Okanogan County commissioners have set dates for meetings to consider the county’s options for juvenile detention.
The commissioners are analyzing options because the county’s current juvenile-detention facility, built in 1974, does not meet needs for space, private meeting areas, or safety for residents and staff, according to county officials.
Among the options under consideration are building a new justice complex in Okanogan or housing juveniles at Martin Hall, a maximum-security facility on the Eastern State Hospital campus in Medical Lake, near Spokane.
Martin Hall is operated by a consortium of nine Eastern Washington counties, most of which don’t have their own facility. Okanogan County could potentially join the consortium or pay for beds as an outside user. Current rates are $155 per night for members and $200 per night for outside users.
The meetings regarding juvenile detention options are all on Tuesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. in the commissioners’ hearing room in Okanogan. No agendas have been set yet.
Dates are as follows: March 15, March 29, April 12, April 26, May 10 and May 31.
