A new Washington state juvenile detention center meant to help address persistent overcrowding at an existing facility will open months later than anticipated due to difficulties in hiring staff.

The facility on the grounds of Stafford Creek Corrections Center near Aberdeen is intended as a first step in solving concerns about crowding at Green Hill School in Chehalis, one of Washington’s two maximum security prisons for young people convicted of crimes.

The state Department of Children, Youth and Families hoped to open the new center in a retrofitted adult prison unit in March.

Staff recruitment troubles have delayed the plan until at least June, DCYF Secretary Tana Senn said in an interview Monday.

Part of that is due to competition with the Department of Corrections over prospective hires, she said. The planned youth facility, known as Harbor Heights, also needs nurses, doctors and counselors who are all hard to come by.

Late last year, former Gov. Jay Inslee included $33 million for the project in his final budget proposal.

The plan for the facility is unique. Instead of simply adding a new detention center, the 48-bed Harbor Heights will serve as a six-month rotation for young men in juvenile detention who qualify for medium security status. Boys and men ages 17 to 25 are incarcerated at Green Hill.

While at Harbor Heights, the men would build skills, then return to Green Hill or be released from custody. They’ll also participate in cognitive behavioral therapy to tackle mental health concerns like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Qualifying for a transfer there could serve as incentive to behave better while at Green Hill, Senn hopes.

The plan has drawn pushback from critics worried the former Department of Corrections facility will be dehumanizing.

“I mean, it is a prison, right?” Senn said. “I think the key is the way that facility had been used by DOC is not how we are going to use it.”

The new secretary, a former Democratic state lawmaker from Mercer Island, noted fresh paint, new carpet, a school, a big outdoor space for recreation and toilets in cells as improvements made or changes compared to Green Hill.

Senn said officials looked at a dozen options, mostly other prisons or mental health facilities, before landing on Stafford Creek as the most suitable.

DCYF announced last week the hiring of the facility’s first superintendent, Kendrick Rochelle. He has served in leadership roles in the juvenile justice systems in Ohio, Louisiana and Arkansas.

“My mission is to create a safe, structured, and supportive environment for young people and staff by holding both accountable, while maintaining fairness and respect,” Rochelle said in a statement. “I lead by example, inspiring and empowering staff and young people by understanding their backgrounds, providing mentorship, and setting high expectations.”

The Department of Children, Youth and Families also hired a new leader at Echo Glen Children’s Center in Snoqualmie, the state’s other juvenile detention center.

The state is still hiring for a new superintendent at Green Hill.

For over a year, Green Hill’s population has remained above its safe capacity of 180 people, leading to increases in fights, drug-related medical emergencies and what an independent report called “deplorable living conditions.”

No relief is in sight. A forecast based on pending criminal cases expects another 100 people to arrive in juvenile rehabilitation, or JR, facilities in the next year.

DCYF, though, has implemented numerous safety measures, which have cut down on violence at Green Hill, according to the agency.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are working on policy changes to reduce overcrowding.

One would aim to keep young people out of juvenile detention in the first place. Senate Bill 5296 would require judges to specifically find that serving a sentence in one of the state’s community-based facilities is inadequate, so commitment to a detention center is needed. The legislation would also expand eligibility for alternatives to incarceration, like treatment for substance use or mental illness.

The proposal passed the Senate on a 26-23 vote, with four Democrats joining Republicans in opposition.

Senn worries measures like this would do more to impact the population at Echo Glen because it houses younger people than Green Hill, specifically boys ages 11 to 17 as well as girls and women from 11 to 25.

Another proposal would set benchmarks for transferring people from Green Hill to community facilities or adult prisons. The Senate passed the bill unanimously.

Both pieces of legislation still need approval from the state House.

Senn has been happy to see bipartisan work on this issue.

“We need policy changes to allow us to make some big movements,” Senn said, “because even with Harbor Heights, we’re still going to be overcrowded.”

Jerry Cornfield is a reporter for Washington State Standard, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com. Follow Washington State Standard on Facebook and Twitter.