SANTA CRUZ COUNTY began a $23 million renovation of its juvenile hall this week despite a declining population and shorter stays for detainees. 

The project will update the nearly six-decade old facility by adding a new, enclosed gymnasium, a garden, and improved kitchen facilities that will host horticulture and culinary programs. Upgrades also include a litany of building improvements from seismic work to better lighting and security cameras. 

The renovation will mark the first major update to the facility on Graham Hill Road in Felton since it opened in 1968. The work is primarily being funded by the state through Senate Bill 823 and Senate Bill 81. 

Probation Chief Fernando Giraldo said the work would modernize the facility and realign the detention center as one focused on rehabilitation.  

“These improvements are long overdue and will ensure that our juvenile hall meets modern standards of safety, accessibility, and rehabilitation. This is a transformational investment in the future of our community and the young people we serve,” Giraldo said in a statement. 

The improved kitchen facilities and new garden and greenhouse will support a seed-to-table culinary program, according to a news release from the county and the 2024 annual report on the facility by juvenile hall division director Sara Berman. 

The renovation work will also include a new recreation room and facility-wide upgrades to support spaces and the dayroom, the laundry room and dining area, and make drinking fountains and restrooms accessible to the handicapped. 

Other work will include updates to fencing, grading and drainage, walkways and other infrastructure improvements. 

The enclosed gymnasium will be installed within a 6,850 square-foot prefabricated steel structure that will also include training rooms, restrooms, equipment storage, and program rooms. 

The detention facility has seen shorter stays and fewer youths detained over the past decade, according to the director’s annual report. 

In 2014, there were 410 bookings at the facility, and the average stay was about 15 days. In 2024, there were 190 bookings and the average stay was about eight days. The daily population of youths detained was about 18 in 2014, compared to about nine youths per night in 2024. The facility has capacity for 40 detainees. 

The work is scheduled to be completed sometime in late 2026. The facility will remain operational during the project.