Breaking the Law
New Juvenile Justice Center to Ease Overcrowding
By Tony Illia

A new state-of-the-art detention center for juveniles recently opened in Reno.

Sparks-based Clark & Sullivan Constructors broke ground on the $25 million, 84,000-sq.-ft. Jan Evans Juvenile Justice Center in December 2002. The new facility sits on 12 acres at 650 Ferrar-McLeod Boulevard, just past the Sheriff's department. on Parr Boulevard, and replaces the 44-year-old Wittenberg Hall structure.

The dated and overcrowded Wittenberg facility on Mill Street was sold in July to Washoe Health Systems for $4.66 million.

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"The sale helps us greatly to fulfill our plans to serve the children of our community," said David Humke, a Washoe County commissioner.

Named after the late Assemblywoman Jan Evans, who lost her battle with cancer in 2000, the project has been in the works since 1999. Evans, a strong advocate for children, introduced legislation that provided a $3 million state grant toward a new facility. The remaining funds came from county bonds and the sale of the Wittenberg property.

The new justice center consists of 108 beds, plus five classrooms and a gymnasium with four half-basketball courts. There's also an industrial kitchen, intake area, visitation rooms and a 13,000-sq.-ft. administration space with 30 offices for attorneys and probation officers.

Designed by KMB Justice Facilities Group of Olympia, Wash., the single-level insulated block and structural steel building is oval- shaped with an open-air grass interior courtyard for recreation. Although architectural accents are minimal, there is a multi-colored art deco main entry with painted plaster exterior.

"This building is a much-needed increase over the current facility that is designed for 51 youths but routinely houses up to 80 juveniles," said Marty Mitcham, Clark & Sullivan's project manager.

With nine pods, each housing 12 beds, the new Jan Evans Center more than doubles the capacity of Wittenberg Hall. The single-person rooms are 8- by -10-ft. cells. Each is outfitted with a stainless steel sink/toilet and a fiberglass molded bed attached to the wall. There are 7-by- 24-in. windows built from high-impact glass.

Each cell is a modular construction of 2.5-in.-thick steel panels that have been welded together at the seams. Acoustical ceiling panels have been installed behind the steel plates to dampen noise. A second phase may add up to 36 additional beds.

Clark & Sullivan, whose construction contract was worth $19.8 million, finished the job six months early on Jan. 30.

"This is what we do best," Mitcham said. "It kind of all came together."

The project required 38 subcontractors, 14 suppliers, and 1,560 people at the height of building activity. The highly secured new facility contains 475 tons of steel, 140,000- sq.- ft. of insulated block and 4,200- cu. yds. of concrete.

The detention portion of the new building still carries the Wittenberg name to honor the memory of Helen Wittenberg, an outspoken advocate for juveniles who led a campaign to build a detention facility for youths so they wouldn't have to be housed in the city jail.