Lyon-Douglas agreement on juvenile detention to go before commission

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Lyon County commissioners will be asked to formalize an agreement with Douglas County to provide juvenile detention services for Lyon County youth at its Stateline facility.

Roger Sayre, Lyon County chief juvenile probation officer, said the two counties have had such an agreement for 10 or 12 years, but it has only been in writing for two.

"It's just the day and age we live in, we have to have that in writing so we are on the same page and understand our responsibilities," he said, adding that nothing in the agreement has changed from previous years.

Douglas County charges Lyon $100 per day per each juvenile offender it houses, which pays for food, clothing, housing and counseling and other programs, Sayre said.

He said the facility in Stateline is a secure facility for offenders. Three such Lyon County youth are held there currently.

Sayre estimated that a few hundred Lyon County youth a year spend time in the Stateline facility.

More are held at a detention facility in Carson City, which also has an agreement with Lyon County, Sayre said.

He couldn't say if or when Lyon County might have its own facility.

"We tried to do that in 2007 and it didn't get off the governor's desk," he said. "There is dialogue now about the conservation camp in Silver Springs maybe being available, but I don't know if it will remain adult or be a juvenile facility."

Sayre said the previous owners of the land, who donated the property to the state, deeded it to be strictly for women. The state decided to close the facility earlier this year.

"We just hope and pray there is a bed available when we need one, otherwise we stick them on a GPS electronic bracelet and monitor them that way," he said.

Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or call 881-7351.