In todays video we will be taking you with us as we explore an infamous abandoned juvenile detention center with a long documented history of inmate abuse, extreme violence, and it even had a few riots in its heyday. The juvenile detention center was built in 1960 on 55-acre valley site. When it opened in 1960, it was the first correctional institution constructed specifically to house and accommodate those sentenced under the new and somewhat controversial Federal Youth Corrections Act of 1950.
The Federal Youth Corrections Act of 1950 was enacted by Congress and targeted young offenders, both men and women, between the ages of 18 and 22. The aim was to segregate them from more hardened adult offenders and to rehabilitate them through intensive programs and a mandatory period of parole supervision, in other words, giving the young offenders a second chance at redemption. The juvenile detention center did house young prisoners, both male and female, from adolescent until the age of 22. Once the prisoners reached age 22, they were then shipped out to the more notorious adult prisons in the area.
The design and layout of the juvenile detention center was unlike the design of most of the previous facilities built by the correctional departments. More like a college campus setting, it allowed the offenders to roam freely and give them a sense of freedom of movement, which was meant to deter both aggression and violence. The young inmates were also provided academic and vocational educational opportunities, as well as professional counseling and mentorship guidance. Each l inmate also had their own room, where they could work, study, and sleep in a private setting.
With this idea and initiative of less confinement and restrictions, with so much freedom and flexibility, the juvenile detention center pretty much had major problems right from the The juvenile detention center had such a bad name and violent reputation that state officials had no choice but to officially close the notorious juvenile facility in 2003. Within years of it’s closure, the juvenile center's buildings began to fall into dangerous stages of both disrepair and decay, with several buildings even collapsing during that time.
Finally in 2011, approximately 8 years after it closed, it would become the new home for local firefighters, law enforcement, and rescue crews that would utilize the abandoned facility for training and rescue purposes. This is the main reason as to why you see a helicopter crashed into one of the rooftops, as well as many other simulated vehicles crashes and rescue missions set up to practice real life rescue scenarios.
As of 2022, many local rescue workers, law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics and first responders continue to utilize the once infamous juvenile center to practice real-life search and rescue scenarios.