Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013 | 2:09 p.m.
CARSON CITY — The Summit View Youth Correctional Center in Las Vegas was closed after the 2011 Legislature because of lack of money, but plans are under way to reopen it later this year.
Meanwhile, the 51-year old Nevada Youth Training Center in Elko is going to be phased out.
Amber Howell, administrator of the state Division of Child and Family Services, outlined the plans today to legislative budget committees.
Instead of the state operating the center for juvenile offenders, Howell said, the division will seek a private contractor to run it.
Plans call for the center to be reopened with 35 beds and then grow to 60 beds. It has a capacity of 96 beds.
Mike Willden, director of the state Department of Health and Human Services, told the committees that judges are not committing juveniles to Elko because, for one reason, it is far away from many youth’s families.
The Elko center has a capacity of 160 beds, but is only housing 65 to 75 youths. The division said it would require nearly $7 million in improvements, such as replacing the water system, to keep the center in Elko open.
Howell said the Caliente Youth Center, which houses male and female offenders, will continue to run at its 140 bed maximum this year.
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