CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — Hundreds of teenagers enter the justice system in Canyon County each year. Inside the Southwest Idaho Juvenile Detention Center, the goal goes beyond keeping kids locked up — and one local nonprofit is working to make sure they don't come back.
Every juvenile's journey through the facility starts with an intake process that includes fingerprinting, medical screenings, a mental health assessment and a suicide risk evaluation.
The facility can house up to 76 detainees, but Director Sean Brown said over the past three years, they typically house around 30 at a time. Most stay for about 20 days while they wait for the courts to decide their next steps.
The most common cases involve charges for battery, drugs and property damage.
While they're there, juveniles attend school, meet with counselors and participate in programs focused on rehabilitation. Staff also reward positive behavior with added privileges, like extra recreation time and access to the gym. Higher-level detainees are also given access to an on-site garden.
WATCH: A Canyon County nonprofit is tackling juvenile recidivism through education, job training and mentoring
For some Canyon County teens, that support continues after they head home.
At Breaking Chains Academy in Nampa, Executive Director Luis Granados knows firsthand what a second chance can mean.
"At one point in my life I was facing 15 years in prison," Granados said.
The former gang member now leads the nonprofit that changed his life. Breaking Chains helps at-risk youth through education, job training and mentoring. Many are referred by juvenile probation and local schools.
"These kids are paying the price for something that's not their fault... they've inherited circumstances that now they're responding to," Granados said.
For Granados, each graduate represents another young person finding a different path. So far this year, 35 students have already earned their GEDs, putting the program on pace to surpass last year's total.
"When they win, we win, and when they fail, we fail along with them. But this is a safe place where they can fail," Granados said.
For more information about Breaking Chains Academy and its rehabilitation efforts, visit their website. To learn more about the Southwest Idaho Juvenile Detention Center, visit their website.
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