.png)
Emergency standby backup power system for the new Baltimore City Youth Detention Center in Baltimore, MD
The new Baltimore City Youth Detention Center (YDC) achieved substantial completion in July of 2017, with plans to occupy the building with detainees by the end of September. YDC is part of the State of Maryland’s Correctional Complex (CCBC) in Baltimore City and is administratively a part of the Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC).
The project was a joint venture between Penza Bailey Architects in Baltimore, and Dewberry Architects in Fairfax, Va. CAM Construction in Baltimore served as the general contractor. The 61,000-square-foot building — in addition to approximately 4,000 square feet of attached recreational space — had a budget of $35 million, which included all furnishings, equipment and IT for the facility. Construction on the new facility began in June 2015.
The new youth detention center has 60 beds and five housing units total, which include four housing units for male detainees (with 50 beds) and one for female detainees (with 10 beds). The facility also includes a medical infirmary, full dental clinic, exam rooms, isolation rooms, psychology and behavioral health services and dialysis.
The new facility also includes a school operated by Baltimore City Public Schools, separate from the housing units to increase a sense of normalization. The school includes a full administrative staff as well as school counselors, special education teachers and all of the features found in a traditional public school, all designed to increase the chances for success of the detainees upon release. The school has six general classrooms, which allow for small class size in addition to separate classrooms for art, science and computers. Additionally, there is a media center/library at the center and a full gymnasium for physical education as well as recreation available to students detained at the center.
