Santa Cruz County’s juvenile hall in Felton is undergoing a $23 million renovation, the most significant improvement since the detention center was built nearly 60 years ago.
The work will include building a new 6,850-square-foot multiuse recreational facility that will feature major upgrades to the gymnasium, restrooms, training rooms and equipment spaces.
Construction crews will also modernize the facility’s day rooms and central control rooms, along with the cells themselves. New collaborative spaces, such as public art centers, are being woven into the project to foster and encourage team-building and community, county officials said, and to give youth living in the facility room to be creative and explore their interests.
A major part of the renovations of the Graham Hill Road facility is a seed-to-table educational program that will add a teaching garden, greenhouse and a renovated kitchen and dining space to give youth hands-on experience in culinary arts and a chance to learn job and life skills.
The county said it hopes the project will improve the quality of life for Santa Cruz’s juvenile offenders, giving them the support and welcoming atmosphere to encourage rehabilitation and reintegration into society. The county expects construction to be completed late next year.
Funding for the project comes partly thanks to Senate Bill 81, a 2007 law that provides financing for renovation projects to facilities that provide rehabilitation for young offenders.
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