Two Maryland Youth Facilities Closing Down, Department of Juvenile Services Says
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Two youth facilities are closing down in Maryland, the Department of Juvenile Services announced Friday.
The J. DeWeese Carter Youth Facility in Chestertown, Maryland and the Meadow Mountain Youth Center in Grantsville, Maryland will close on June 30.
All DJS staff from these facilities will be placed at other facilities, DJS said.
Carter Youth Facility, an all-female, hardware-secure committed program, will become a staff-secure program on the campus of the Backbone Mountain Youth Center in Swanton, Maryland.
"The Backbone Mountain program better meets the needs of our girls," said DJS Secretary Sam Abed. "We no longer have to rely on outside vendors to provide food service for our youth and the girls will have access to additional programming. Based on the low-level offenses of these girls, a staff-secure facility is more appropriate."
"The Department's population has been decreasing for many years," Abed added. "Consolidating our resources now allows us to maintain the necessary services to treat our youth, and better aligns with our population trends."
The department said the girls will have their own dedicated building, staff and programming, and will have to access additional behavioral health resources in the area, educational resources through a local community college and outdoor extra-curricular activities. They'll share the dining facilities and other amenities on campus.
They added most recently the girls had been relocated to the Lower Eastern Shore Children's Center because food service had been suspended by their outside vendor.
Three youth are currently receiving treatment at Carter, the department said.
Meadow Mountain Youth Center, is an all-male, staff-secure committed program. Staff and youth from this program will be moved to the neighboring Green Ridge and Backbone Mountain Youth Centers. Seven youth are currently in the Meadow Mountain program.
They said they are providing communication to families and when in-person visitation resumes, they will provide transportation to families when needed.