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Children may be housed in Allegheny County Jail longer than local leaders planned – as there is no firm timeline for renovations to a juvenile justice facility where they will stay.
Local officials are wrestling with how to incorporate a trauma-informed design at Highland Detention at Shuman Center — a building that’s more than 50 years old.
“We are in design phase on the remaining pods, working toward a trauma-informed design that will be a departure for the facility,” said Abigail Gardner, a spokesperson for county Executive Sara Innamorato.
As of Jan. 13, 19 juveniles are housed in Allegheny County Jail, according to the county records.
The reopening of the first phase of the Shuman facility in July signaled a new chapter for juvenile justice locally.
“For the kids to move, obviously you need a facility,” said Corey O’Connor, Allegheny County controller and a member of the jail oversight board.
Shuman reopened in July under a new $73 million contract with Westmoreland County nonprofit, Adelphoi, which operates the facility. Shuman, located in the city’s Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood, currently houses one 12 bed-pod - not nearly enough to accommodate all the children detained in the county.
Adelphoi and county officials have repeatedly stated their intentions for additional renovations with the goal of having five pods (60 beds) available at Shuman.
“The number of juveniles detained is ultimately up to the courts to determine, so based on current counts we do believe a build-out of 60 beds would accommodate every young person in detention, but that number could fluctuate,” Gardner said.
One pod will be specifically for juveniles in the criminal justice system, said Adelphoi CEO Nancy Kukovich.
“There'll be one (pod) for a group called interest of justice. Interest of justice are kids that are in the county prison, awaiting further judicial procedures. And I think everyone agrees, a judge will determine it, but I think everyone agrees, they shouldn't be in the adult prison,” said Kukovich, during a recent interview with City Cast Pittsburgh.
When Shuman reopened last year, Kukovich stated that the remaining 48 beds would be operational in about 18 months. Late last year, Kukovich told City Cast that Adelphoi does not expect to meet this initial estimate for renovations.
However, county officials are driving the renovation process.
“The construction work at Shuman Center is being undertaken by Allegheny County. Adelphoi is prepared to operate additional beds at the facility as the county moves forward with their renovation plans,” Adelphoi spokesperson Karyn Pratt said.
If the county is to complete the facility within the initial timeline, it will need to finalize designs, take bids from contractors, select a contractor and have the remaining renovations built within a year.
“We do not currently have a timeline for building,” Gardner said.
In the meantime, Gardner said one possibility is to open a housing unit for the children while the remaining beds are built at Shuman. Gardner did not provide details on the security, location, or accessibility of this housing unit.
Kukovich told City Cast Pittsburgh that Adelphoi provided services for juveniles in Allegheny County during the two years prior to Shuman’s reopening. During that time, Adelphoi housed roughly 45 children in “secure care” at several facilities across Southwestern Pennsylvania, she said.
However, Kukovich said, Adelphoi will stop providing these additional detention services “as Shuman comes online.”
The number of kids housed in adult jails has dropped dramatically over the past decade, as new legislation has prioritized child safety, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics.
But Allegheny County is behind the curve.
In 2021, the county implemented the reauthorized Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act, federal legislation aimed at juvenile justice reform. One focus of the act is to permanently transition children out of adult detention facilities.
While several states made progress in keeping juveniles out of adult jails, Allegheny County lagged behind as Shuman, the county’s lone juvenile detention center, had its facility license revoked after years of problems.
The facility remained closed for three years until Adelphoi offered to run Shuman. Under Adelphoi’s management, the county planned to renovate Shuman to house children who would be cared for under Adelphoi’s “trauma-informed” approach.
Inside the lone 12-bed pod at Shuman, children receive education, mental health services, physical health services, and a strong sense of. routine and safety, according to Kukovich.
“You've got to make sure that the community is safe. You've got to make sure that the alleged perpetrator is safe. And then you've got to do your homework and make sure that the next step for this kid, this young adult, is the right step. So, we are operating like Shuman should have, with the addition of behavioral health care, which they never had,” Kukovich told City Cast.
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