After being shuttered for nearly three years, the facility formerly known as Shuman Juvenile Detention Center is set to reopen its doors tomorrow, under the new operation of Adelphoi, a company with over four decades of service in Allegheny County. Nancy Kukovich, Adelphoi’s CEO, expressed the company's commitment to the community, as per WPXI, "We’ve been working with the County to prepare Shuman to accept youth and we’re delighted that the facility is now up and running".
This endeavor, titled Highland Detention at Shuman Center, will initiatively cater to juveniles with a 12-bed pod designed not just for imprisonment but aiming to offer stabilization and assessments. As reported by CBS News Pittsburgh, the center promises a holistic approach, providing "meals, education and physical, mental and behavioral health services" for those detained. The necessity of reopening became particularly pressing as, with the original Shuman's doors closed, housing for juvenile offenders involved in serious crimes was nonexistent—forcing judges to release them back into the community.
Addressing public safety concerns, the court system has facilitated extensive renovations to the facility and has vested a five-year, $72 million contract in Adelphoi—a firm known for its legacy of service provision to at-risk youth. Such a considerable sum reflects the gravity of the housing deficiency issue and the expectations placed on Adelphoi to manage the detention center effectively.
