Doña Ana County temporarily closed the juvenile detention center last month due to staffing problems, moving juvenile detainees to a portion of the adult facility.
At a work session Tuesday, Doña Ana County Detention Center Director Chris Barela said it could be 12- 14 months before they are able to reopen the detention center.
“Based on the attrition rates that we have,” Barela said. “Unless we get an influx of recruits and we are able to retain the existing officers that we have currently on the rolls then in may take that long. Just last month alone I lost 5 people.”
He says the salary increases that are included in this year’s budget are a key factor in being able to recruit and retain detention center officers.
“That’s an important piece of the puzzle that I believe is going to go a long way in making sure our attrition doesn’t continue the way it’s going,” Barela said. “But until then and based on the numbers that I’m seeing right now that’s a pretty accurate reopening time that I’m giving you.”
The juvenile detainees are being kept in a portion of the adult facility, but are separated at all times by both sight and sound.
