Juvenile system: county plans October turnover of Youth Justice and Education Center; community outreach and staffing steps outlined

County corrections and juvenile court officials told the committee they plan to assume day‑to‑day operations of the Youth Justice and Education Center (YJAC) on Oct. 1, 2025, and described a transition program that includes community engagement, staffing, training and IT work.

Key points - Timeline: Shelby County Division of Corrections Director Anthony Alexander said the administration proposed an October 1, 2025 date to assume full operations; shadowing of current operations will start in July. - Staffing and cost: County finance said the total FY26 budget for YJAC staffing and O&M was estimated in committee at roughly $14.5 million, including a complement of roughly 148 positions (50 funded in FY25 and the remainder in FY26); onboarding timelines differ by role (12 weeks for custody training at the corrections academy, shorter for civilian roles). - Program and services: County staff and juvenile court CAO Stephanie Hill said the plan includes in‑facility education with Hope Academy, mental‑health supports through the county’s clinical contractor, and an emphasis on family engagement and restorative approaches. In‑person visitation and an updated menu and facility repairs were also described as priorities. - Community outreach and transparency: The transition working group already includes juvenile‑court leadership, corrections operations, policy and accreditation staff, transportation and facilities, IT and community stakeholders. The first public information session took place Saturday in Hollywood; further stakeholder briefing sessions and a Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators meeting were announced.

Why it matters: The transfer changes which county agency manages youth in custody and affects staffing, program delivery and the timetable for opening new services. Juvenile court officials said they want to reduce backlogs and improve timelines for dependency/neglect and delinquency dockets.

What’s next: County finance and corrections will hire approved positions once the FY26 budget is finalized; corrections said it will continue training and coordination so October 1 staffing and programming goals can be met. Juvenile court said it will publish district‑level detention admit data and has already posted an annual report with zip‑code breakdowns for commissioners to review.