The state agency accused Rite of Passage of failing to maintain standards, making misleading or false statements or reports, failing to provide safe conditions for children, violating the Child Care Licensing Act and \u201csubstantial evidence\u201d that suggests employees at DeNier committed acts of child abuse, according to the suspension order.<\/p>\n
Lori Hassanzadeh-Aski, interim program director for Rite of Passage, said she was surprised by the suspension and is concerned for the 16 youth offenders who were transported to alternative locations across the state. She was particularly concerned for three juveniles who were enrolled in online college courses, saying she is unsure if they will be able to complete the courses, she wrote in an email to The Durango Herald.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were surprised to be shut down yesterday because of the continuous positive feedback we have been receiving about our program at DeNier,\u201d the email said. \u201cWe are also concerned what will happen to the youth law enforcement pick up in our community as the closest detention facility will now be over three hours away. We as staff have dedicated our lives to these students, and now we aren\u2019t sure what comes next for them, for DeNier or for our community here in Durango.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following the suspension order, the state will file a notice of charges to revoke the license from Rite of Passage. If Rite of Passage appeals the suspension, the matter will be set for a hearing. There is no timetable for when a hearing would take place, a spokeswoman for Human Services wrote in an email to the Herald.<\/p>\n
A spokeswoman for Rite of Passage said the organization hadn\u2019t decided whether to file an appeal.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, the state said in an email that it is looking for a replacement program while DeNier is closed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe department will be looking to procure detention beds within the catchment area serving the 6th and 22nd judicial districts,\u201d the email said.<\/p>\n
Local law enforcement were caught off guard by the news that the detention center, which has operated since 2000, was closing. Both the Durango Police Department and the La Plata County Sheriff\u2019s Office had no advance notice until the state made a phone call to request assistance overseeing employees as they left the property.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt came from left field,\u201d said Durango Police Chief Kamran Afzal. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know anything about it.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Afzal said the decision to close the facility was the correct one if violations had taken place.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not questioning the justification of the decision to close down,\u201d Afzal said. \u201cIf the conditions were such that they were harmful to the occupants who are juveniles, we have to do the right thing and take action. But having an advanced notice so we can figure out the impacts would have been nice from the state.\u201d<\/p>\n Chief District Judge Jeffrey Wilson has scheduled a meeting next week with local law enforcement agencies from the 6th Judicial District to determine a plan while DeNier remains unavailable. In the meantime, he issued a temporary order Friday to help guide local departments, said La Plata County Sheriff Sean Smith.<\/p>\n Under the new order, juvenile offenders will be screened over the phone by one of the two closest juvenile detainment centers, Grand Mesa Youth Services in Grand Junction or the Pueblo Youth Services Center in Pueblo.<\/p>\n If it is decided an individual needs to be detained, the person will be transported to one of those facilities by the La Plata County Sheriff\u2019s Office, which will add costs to the department, Smith said. He is also concerned about the conditions of Red Mountain Pass during the winter, which might require him to fly detainees.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have funding for that in this moment,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe\u2019re kind of catching the brunt of this. Unfortunately, this closure is going to put a substantial burden on us.\u201d<\/p>\n Detainees will also need to be transported for court appearances that take place in Durango, however, they will have the option to attend hearings remotely using video technology. Though it helps cut transport costs for law enforcement, the scenario isn\u2019t ideal for the juveniles, said 6th Judicial District Attorney Christian Champagne.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, that has an impact that the juvenile isn\u2019t in the courtroom with their parents and their lawyers,\u201d he said. \u201cThat has a negative impact on everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n The District Attorney\u2019s Office tends not to take a hard-line approach with juveniles in general, Champagne said. He believes it is better for children to live with their parents or guardian and provide services to juvenile offenders, giving them the ability to correct their behavior.<\/p>\n \u201cThe entire purpose of the juvenile code is about rehabilitation,\u201d Champagne said. \u201cThe fact that they\u2019re now going to get transported to Pueblo and Grand Junction places a significant obstacle in their ability to be released quickly and safely.\u201d<\/p>\n The number of detained juveniles has decreased during the past decade, Champagne said. Because of this, DeNier has housed kids from other areas in the state. Champagne said the influence of kids from other places negatively affected the Durango juveniles housed at the facility.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were getting some really challenging kids into DeNier, and I don\u2019t know if that played a role in all of this or not,\u201d Champagne said. \u201cBut I\u2019ve long felt that that really does a disservice to the kids in our community. The kids in our area are being exposed to much more advanced criminal behavior and thinking, and that\u2019s bad for our kids.\u201d<\/p>\n Champagne hopes the issue is resolved quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need a functioning and safe juvenile facility in our community,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we had one. It\u2019s just really beyond unfortunate that it wasn\u2019t safe for the juveniles that are there.\u201d<\/p>\n