Juvenile Justice Center turns 15
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- On Tuesday, the Juvenile Justice Center turned 15.
Employees celebrated how far they have come since the old Parkview facility closed and the new one opened on Michigan Street.
We toured the facility on Tuesday morning.
We found some stark differences in the archive video that we saw.
Children used to sleep on mats on the floor and one bathroom didn't even have a sink.
"Overcrowding was a major issue. Parkview was built in 1953 for 13 children and I can remember up to 65 children in that facility. The progress that we've seen has to do with the safety of staff and the children. Our detention center is much safer for children," said Charles Whetstone, Director of Probation.
Other benefits of the new building include employees having their own offices, and the court is in the same building as the detention center.