SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 26
(By Senators Sharpe, Manchin, Craigo, Miller,
Dittmar, Wooton, Blatnik, Love, Ross, Oliverio,
Buckalew, Jackson, Tomblin, Mr. President, Deem,
Wagner, White, Chafin, Bailey, Anderson, Yoder,
Grubb, Wiedebusch, Schoonover, Dugan, Whitlow,
Walker, Macnaughtan, Bowman, Helmick, Plymale,
Minear, Kimble and Scott)
Directing that the special joint interim committee created
pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolutions No. 12 and 13 and
to be known as the "Juvenile Program Development Committee"
consider converting the Weston Mental Health Center into a
facility to be used for a program for juvenile offenders
including, but not limited to, program development, program
financing, facility conversion costs and maintenance costs
and directing that the state consider the Weston Mental
Health Center as a site for further use by state agencies.
Whereas, The Weston Mental Health Center, hereinafter
referred to as the Weston Center, has previously been utilized by
the state of West Virginia as a treatment center for the mentally impaired; and
Whereas, The Weston Center currently has structures and
other various facilities which are adequate to provide for the
care and treatment of juvenile offenders; and
Whereas, The state is currently spending approximately
twelve million dollars annually for the treatment of juveniles in
out-of-state facilities pursuant to court mandates. Therefore,
the state has a significant interest in developing appropriate
facilities for such juveniles presently receiving treatment in
out-of-state facilities; and
Whereas, The Legislature of West Virginia, pursuant to
Senate Concurrent Resolutions No. 12 and 13, has recognized the
need to provide for the care and treatment of certain juvenile
offenders; and
Whereas, The Weston Center currently has facilities which
are fully capable of being adapted to and for use as a site for
business and commercial use by the state; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the special joint interim committee previously created
pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolutions No. 12 and 13 and to be
known as the "Juvenile Program Development Committee" be directed to review, examine and study the status of juveniles currently
residing in out-of-state facilities, the need for the development
of appropriate state programs, the cost of converting the Weston
Center into a juvenile treatment facility, the anticipated
economic impact upon the Weston area and the estimated annual
costs for the state of West Virginia and present such reports or
findings to the regular session of the Legislature, 1996; and, be
it
Further Resolved, That the appropriate agencies of the state
are directed to consider the Weston Center as a site for any use
by state agencies.