Multnomah County’s Juvenile Services Division recently unveiled a renovated recreational yard at the Donald E. Long Detention Center, breathing new life into a space that sorely needed updates after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The year-long project transformed the space into a park-like environment that can be used throughout the year. The improvements included enhanced landscaping, a paved walking and running path, picnic tables, modern exercise equipment, and a renovated basketball court.
“Two years ago this space was really neglected from COVID-19 pandemic, and trying to get people to do landscaping was tough, so there were blackberries through the fence and tall grass,” said Ken Jerin, Multnomah County Juvenile Services Division detention manager.
“A lot of youth that we serve aren’t engaged in organized recreational activities, especially as they get older, so [the improvements are] an opportunity for them to experience that,” Jerin said. “We encourage our staff to do activities with them and show them how to shoot a basketball or how to do an exercise. Those things are important. Those things also build bonds between staff and youth, and build that trust and belonging that we’re looking for.”
The renovations are part of a broader effort to create a more trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate and safer environment at the Donald E. Long Detention Center that prioritizes rehabilitation, learning, and restorative practices. Funding for the upgrades was approved by the Board of County Commissioners last year, aligning with recommendations of the Department of Community Justice’s Community Budget Advisory Committee to incorporate more restorative practices in juvenile detention facilities and to better serve survivors of violence and people who have caused harm.
Juvenile Services Division Director Dr. Kyla Armstrong-Romero, who attended the June ribbon-cutting ceremony, emphasized the need to acknowledge the differences between youth and adults, particularly when it comes to brain development.
This detention center was constructed decades ago when many incarcerated youth were thought to be capable of being “superpredators" and when the concept of a trauma-informed response wasn't as prevalent. Changes to the center to create a space more responsive to the needs of the youth started years ago under the direction of recently retired juvenile services division director, Deena Corso, who was on hand to celebrate the unveiling in June.
“So we’re continuing the work to make this space feel less of a correctional setting because youth are different, particularly when it comes to brain development, and there’s research that supports this,” Armstrong-Romero said.
Other renovations will upgrade two housing units with revised layouts that allow for better use of the facility, including the creation of a counseling space that will help promote better engagement and interaction between staff and youth.
The remodel also formally removes antiquated and long-shuttered “seclusion rooms” from the detention center. Multnomah County, like other jurisdictions nationally, stopped using solitary confinement long ago, citing an abundance of evidence that the practice can cause psychological and physiological damage.
The renovations allow the Juvenile Services Division to actively work toward creating a space that promotes healing, growth, and positive interactions for the youth in the County’s care, said Armstrong-Romero.
“This also gives staff an opportunity to be more hands on and more relational and interactional with the youth, when we have spaces where everyone feels safe and happier.”