Southwest Idaho Juvenile Detention Center (where Larry works.)
Welcome to our EVENTS page!
This page tells about some of the things that have happened at the Center since we opened up in 1992.
The Southwest Idaho Juvenile Detention Center is a 90-bed juvenile detention center located in Caldwell, Idaho, about 30 miles west of Boise. The center opened with 20 beds on March 2, 1992, with Robert L. Bigelow as Director, Dan Kessler as Trial Court Administrator and Judge Jim. R. Doolittle as Administrative Judge. On March 1, 1993, Steven G. Jett took over as Director.
On May 26, 1998, Canyon County voters approved a $3.7 million dollar expansion project which increased the number of beds to 90 to better serve the district. Construction started in May, 1999, ran past the original deadline of March/April of 2000, and was 'completed' in September, 2000.
In October 1994, the center instituted a level system to help teach accountability and responsibility to those in custody. The result has been a marked decrease in violent incidents and disciplinary lockdowns, and an increase in the morale of the juveniles and staff.
In December, 1999, our "writer in residence" program started, with writer Dawn Ludwin instructing. The classes are held twice each week in conjunction with our regular school hours. Feedback has been very positive. We appreciate the help that we receive from the Log Cabin Literary Center. In September 2004, Paul Berg took over instructing the program.
On November 22, 2000, the graduation ceremony was held for the first Juvenile Detention Officer Training Academy, held at the Idaho Peace Officers Standards and Training Center (P.O.S.T.) at Meridian, Idaho. Special thanks to Roch Clapp of the Department of Juvenile Corrections, Mike Becar and Debbie Kindelberger of P.O.S.T. and the Idaho Juvenile Training Council chaired by Commissioner V. Hoybjerg for their hard work and efforts in setting up the academy.
Past and present officers who have completed the POST training and have earned or are earning their Basic Juv. Det. Officer Certification are listed below, along with class rank if in top 4:
| November 2000 | Breta Colley #4 | Kelly Torrey | Alan Oates | Kathe Bradley |
| May 2001 | Michelle Spiller #2 | Aaron Horn | Ryan Horn | Muntaga Bah |
| Tim Warner | ||||
| July 2001 | Sean Brown #1(tie) | Shanna Clark | Jennifer Dickinson #1(tie) | Justin Elam |
| Jeff Hagemeier | Zelda Helfrich | Chuck Slack | ||
| May 2002 | Andrew Bigelow | Lynn Freiburghaus | Carol Groesbeck | Aileen Malone |
| August 2002 | Gabriel Hofkins | Jeremy Grantham | JoAnn McGregor | Lori Dietrick |
| May 2003 | Bob Andrews | Sheila Martz | Candy Martilla | Larraine Etter |
| May 2004 | Linda Ragan | Sam Kuoha | Kathy Fox | Bobby Martinez |
| September 2004 | Erika Bernal | Andrew Anderson | ||
| December 2004 | Myron Emly | Michael Richards | ||
| April/May 2005 | Michael Bell | Trish Hanzlik | Sara Helmer | Linda Latham |
| November 2005 | Angie Hoffman | Larry Benjamin | Antonio Sanguinetti | |
| April 2006 | Harry Harrison | Colin Young | Aaron Sterk | Brandon Gable |
| Michael Blair | Robert Martinez | |||
| November 2006 | Nicole Hammett | Brent Ferro | John Bowers | Jodi Frans |
| Roxanna Page | Kris Haney | |||
| September 2007 | Kyle Hogg | Jeff Lough (#1) | Elizabeth Tellez | |
| Successful | Chelle Mills | Dave Stallings | Shawn Anderson | Mike Geselle |
| Challenges | Tim Aguirre | Meri Leslie | Craig Olsen |
Pictured below are 4 of SWIJDC's first P.O.S.T. Instructors, Mike Geselle, Chelle Mills, Shawn Anderson and Steve Jett. Other instructors presently include Larry Benjamin, Sean Brown.
In December, 2000, Supervisor Tim Aguirre started the "Hat Project" in the Center. Working one on one with the juveniles, he and his team used a simple pattern and started cranking out hats to donate to local hospital maternity units for the newborns to wear. On March 23, 2001, we were able to donate approximately 50 hats to the Mercy Medical Center in Nampa, Idaho. For a look at the article that appeared in the Idaho Statesman on March 24, 2001, please click here. Due to several issues, the Hat Project isn't running at the present time.
In April, 2002, the Scroll Saw Project was started by Glen Diers and Marilee Davis. Please check out the pictures of the project. The Project was featured in the September 10, 2002 Idaho Press Tribune for donating numerous articles to the Caldwell School District and the Idaho Juvenile Justice Association. For a look at the article, please click here. Glen transferred to Oklahoma in 2004, and the Scroll Saw Project hasn't been in operation since that time.
On September 24, 2003 Glen was chosen as the Idaho Juvenile Justice Association's District 3 Line Worker of the Year. Glenn was presented his plaque by Julie Yamamoto, Caldwell Alternative School Principal, and Steve Jett. (see below)
Steve, Glen and Julie Yamamoto
On December 19, 2003, the juveniles were given Christmas treats donated by the Matterhorn Ice Cream Company. We appreciate their generosity. The kids sure enjoyed the "Big Ed's Super Saucers"!
Enjoying Matterhorn Ice Cream Treats.
On December 19, 2003, Albert Erickson, now Chief of Police for Parma, Idaho, spoke to the juveniles about his experiences in Kuwait. Albert had recently returned from Kuwait where he served as Operations Superintendent at Al-Jaber Air Base.
On February 8, 2004, the Idaho Press Tribune ran a story on the Center's Education program. To see article, click here.
In June, 2004, Taga Bah, certified through the Cooper Institute, was appointed to lead the Phys Ed program in the Center. The SWIJDC has instituted physical requirements for any staff hired after May, 2005 with Taga's help.
On March 27, 2005, it was announced by the Idaho Press Tribune that a juvenile in the center had won the Silver Quill Award for a letter he wrote praising the Center's juvenile detention officers and teachers. Click here to read award article!
We would like to hear from other Juvenile Justice workers. We'd like to hear your suggestions and more information on any successful program that you may be utilizing in your juvenile detention center, so we can steal it!! We will also willingly share our successes for you to use, if you wish. (Because of server problems, the guestbook has been discontinued, but feel free to email us - sjett@canyoncounty.org.)
If you are exploring the web looking for information and/or pictures for a school project, please visit our "report page."
Please be advised that the SWIJDC staff will not arrange any penpal relationships for juveniles inside the Center. Any letters not specifically addressed to a juvenile will be returned. Letters may also be scanned for inappropriate material.
Links to other sites
Read some of the feedback that we get.
Visit SWIJDC Staff
The best tools that we have for rehabilitation include mentoring and establishing good relationships with the juveniles committed to our custody.
CPR class July 29, 2004