County Commissioners Hear Pierceton Woods Complaints
Posted
Jordan Fouts-
Pierceton Woods Academy was built over several neighbors’ objections and now their fears seem to be confirmed, two of those neighbors told Kosciusko County Commissioners this morning. Rick and Debbie Wagner, who live near the detention facility for boys between the ages of 8 and 21, asked commissioners what could be done to close or license the academy. Rick Wagner cited several incidences involving Pierceton Woods in recent years, most notably the Dec. 8 escape of a teenager who shot a man in an attempted carjacking before being apprehended. “We were told ... there would be no violent youths housed there. Now we know that’s not true,” Rick Wagner said. “We just want to feel safe in our own homes.” The couple has lived in Pierceton for 20 years, his wife added, and always felt safe before the 60-acre detention facility was built in 2008. Prior to the opening of Pierceton Woods, local sheriff’s departments had to take minors in trouble with the law to juvenile facilities in South Bend, Fort Wayne or Marion. Mark Terrell, CEO of Lifeline Youth and Family Services, which operates the facility, said at the time it’s “a last resort for Lifeline's programs.” Rick Wagner said today that the facility is only licensed as a social services agency, and so does not have the means or authority to detain young inmates. Commission President Bob Conley said they agree something needs to be done, and have been looking into the issue themselves. He said Judge Duane Huffer “assured us that if this county puts someone in, they’re there to be detained.” He also expressed sympathy for the Wagners’ position when Rick Wagner observed that money may be the academy’s primary concern. “That’s tough, they’re looking at the dollar and your concerns are not being addressed,” Conley said. Commissioner Ron Truex added that State Reps. Dave Wolkins and Rebecca Kubacki are also involved. He said the problem is either that potentially dangerous young people assigned to the facility are not being recognized, or not enough is being done to keep them there. “It’s a question of who goes there and how well is it managed,” Truex said.
