-44 population is as high as it is at present, there is no space available today, nor will there be space on February 1, 1971, for the PINS (Persons Need of Supervision) group. The Administration planned to use Maple Glen and the shelter homes for this group, but all of the space in these facilities is now being used for the overflow detention population. Seventh, a change in the Court Reform Act to permit discretion on the part of the Administration in commingling will be sought, and if obtained, will relieve the facilities problem considerably. In short, plans are being made to find spaces for the detention population in places other than in all the institutions at the Children's Center, and other than in the Youth Group Homes. If that can be accomplished, through temporary expedients such as use of one facility at the Children's Center, use of Youth Group Homes (172 capacity) as temporary detention homes, and use of military facilities (perhaps 100 to 150 spaces), the immediate crisis can be met. Adequate space is available at the Children's Center in Laurel, if fully staffed, for committed population now and in the next two years, if space can be found elsewhere than in the institutions for at least the 260 to 300 overflow which now exists and is expected to continue for the next six months at least of detained children from the Receiving Home. -45 IV. A. PROBLEM AREAS, ALTERNATIVES, AND RECOMMENDATIONS The Major Problem Areas The analysis presented in section three of this report indicates clearly that there are three major areas in which problems of an urgent nature requiring immediate adjustments and alterations in space available for juvenile and adult corrections: (1) a rapid increase in Youth Act cases, forcing overcrowding in the Youth Center, and requiring nearly double the current rated capacity of 324, and (2) a rapid increase in adult felony commitments, causing overcrowding in the Complex at Lorton, and nearly doubling the numbers of those who either must be housed at the Complex or at alternative locations, such as in halfway houses or community correction centers, (3) a rapid increase in juvenile detention and a steady increase in juvenile commitments, overwhelming the juvenile detention facilities and forcing overflow population into the juvenile institutions. This is not to say that the jail does not also face serious problems of overcrowding, since the projections indicate a jail population of 1,300 or more by the end of fiscal 1972. The new jail will not be completed until well after that date, and therefore there appears to be no alternative but to overcrowd the jail still further for the immediate future. Department of Corrections officials say this can be managed, although it will be difficult. Similarly, the Women's Detention Center is currently overcrowded, with no immediate relief in sight. The projections show a growth in this population, but not a rapid growth. Corrections officials again say it can be handled with difficulty. -46 All of the Youth Group Homes of the Social Services Administration are now being used for overflow detention, making it impossible to use these homes for the halfway house, community based treatment programs for which they were designed. While this is a serious problem, Social Services Administration officials say that it can be tolerated until the current flood tide of detained juveniles ebbs, as it is expected to do once the current backlog of more than 2,000 juvenile cases is reduced by the Court of General Sessions and the new Superior Court. There is also a problem in finding adequate space and resources for the treatment and rehabilitation of alcoholics, and it ought to be noted that while the recommendations contained in this report suggest some exchange of space, there is no reduction in the capacity of that program. It must be admitted that there is also no increase in space provided for in these recommendations, which is reasonable given the extremely difficult budget situation, and the extremely heavy demands for space being placed on correctional facilities. The task force considered a variety of alternative ways to meet the needs identified in connection with the three major problems. B. These considerations are outlined below. The Increase in Youth Act Cases In order to cope with a substantial expected increase in Youth Act cases, the following alternatives were considered: 1. Transfer the former Women's Reformatory, now used by the Rehabilitation Center for Alcoholics (RCA), with a capacity of 275 to 300 persons, to the Department of Corrections for use as a second Youth Center for Youth Act cases. This would give the Department of Corrections a total -47 capacity, with its present Youth Center capacity of 324, a capacity of 740, enough to house its current 715 alcoholics. 2. Transfer the Oak Hill Center at Laurel, with a 200 person intensive use capacity but a design capacity of 150, to the Department of Corrections for a second Youth Center. This would require relocation of present committed juveniles to Maple Glen and Cedar Knoll, and added security features at all institutions. Relocatable structures would have to be added as well to provide for a total capacity there of 300. 3. Transfer the RCA facilities entirely to the Glen Dale Hospital location. This would allow for the utilization by the Department of Corrections of all the Rehabilitation Center space without any need for new Youth Center facilities at Lorton. However, this alternative implies the construction of new buildings at Glen Dale with a capacity of 715, which would require very heavy investment and considerable delay in providing new capacity for the Department of Corrections. This ought not be ruled out as a future alternative, however, and ought to be explored further. C. The Increase in Adult Felon Cases Since very little expansion is expected in minimum security cases, this would not be a problem which would have to be addressed, except that the minimum security unit is recommended in alternative B.l. for transfer to RCA. Alternative B.1. also provides that the need would be met by the use of relocatable structures for the minimum security inmates. Therefore, it is not necessary to spell out alternatives here, in any detail. 3. Place some additional minimum security inmates in community correctional centers. 4. Combination of C.1. and C.3. above. With respect to medium and maximum security inmates, the alternatives considered were as follows: D. 5. 6. Intensive use of present facilities, giving a capability in the institution known as the Complex of 1,520. It The acquisition of 480 spaces through the construction 7. The acquisition of 300 additional halfway house or community correctional center beds. 8. A combination of all three of the above, which would The Increase in Juvenile Detention and Commitment In order to cope with a substantial increase in these areas, and especially in order to cope with the vast increase in numbers of detained juveniles, the following alternatives were considered. First, with regard to those detained, there appear to be the following possibilities: 1. Transfer the Oak Hill Youth Center at Laurel to use as |