Highland Detention at Shuman Center reopens after being closed for nearly 3 years
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- After nearly three years of being closed, the former Shuman Detention Center reopened on Tuesday.
As the facility now known as Highland Detention at Shuman Center enters a new era, the hope is that it will curb bad behavior among young people. That hope comes as judges have had no place to send juvenile offenders accused of the most serious crimes for around three years.
"Open this detention center. Keep our communities safe and keep the juveniles safe. If a juvenile's carrying a gun, something's wrong with that picture," District Judge Eugene Ricciardi told KDKA-TV last month.
Adelphoi now operates the detention center as part of a $72 million contract, and Highland Detention at Shuman Center will include a 12-bed pod.
The closure of Shuman delayed intervention for young offenders and compromised community safety, leaders said. As a result, there were 436 incidents where juveniles cut off electronic monitoring bracelets or let the batters die between 2022 and January of this year.
"We see kids that are being sent home with ankle bracelets and monitors, and they're ignoring it, cutting them off at times, turning them off. There's no accountability," Pittsburgh City Councilman Anthony Coghill said.
Between December 2021 and October 2023, 234 youth in Allegheny County met the criteria for secure detention or were court-ordered to detention. Instead, they weren't detained because there wasn't anywhere for them to go.
After Shuman closed, the facility underwent extensive renovations, including what Adelphoi calls 'high-tech updates" aimed at increasing safety.
Once additional renovations are finished, the facility will have five 12-bed pods, making for a total capacity of 60 residents. It's unclear when those renovations are expected to be complete.
Coghill chairs Pittsburgh City Council's Public Safety and Wellness Committee. He applauds the reopening of the facility in the Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood.
"It's well-need. It's well-documented and it helps to detain folks who are deemed dangerous," Coghill said.
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said in a statement that there is still active litigation with Allegheny County Council on the contract and it's important to finalize a Shuman advisory board. She added that the goal of the center is to help young people achieve their full potential.