Project represents a paradigm shift in how Oklahoma addresses youthful offenders.

Oklahoma City, OK – November 23, 2010: The Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) and the Department of Central Services announced today that a juvenile youth academy will be created in Ada, Oklahoma.  After a thorough review process and considering proposals from different cities and private corrections companies, the Ada proposal was selected as the highest scoring vendor and the one that would provide the best value.

The Ada proposal consists of a 144-bed academic campus, which will be located on 65 acres in Ada. A secure bed facility will also be constructed on the grounds on Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center (COJC) in Tecumseh. Both facilities are expected to operational around July 1, 2012.

OJA and Ada Youth Academy Authority members believe an academic campus will allow students to obtain the social and work skills necessary to succeed both during and after graduating the program. The Authority selected Rite of Passage of Nevada to operate the educational academy.

Senator Susan Paddack noted, “This project is an incredible opportunity for the Ada area to share our knowledge, skills, and resources with the State in a way that will not only create cost savings, but also provide an opportunity for growth and development of our troubled youth.”

The Ada Youth Academy will provide youthful offenders with rich and engaging services that will allow a change from negative behavior into pro-social behavior. The academic campus affords a level of opportunities and success for students that are not found in traditional secure facilities. Services that will be provided at the academy include accredited education, career technical education, treatment, recreation, and opportunities for self-development and behavioral change.

Rite of Passage Inc., which has a proven track record of more than a quarter century in this setting, will manage the facility. Their staff will also help transition youth to community education settings such as college and vocational trade schools after graduation from the program.

This represents a paradigm shift in how the State addresses and treats its juvenile offenders. The process to create this change and ultimately establish the Ada Youth Academy was considered and reviewed at great length.

Representative Todd Thomsen commented on the project, “For years the way we’ve handled juvenile offenders is to essentially lock them in facilities that trained them to become career criminals.  With the establishment of the Ada Youth Academy our community leads our state into a new direction where we will put juvenile offenders in a position to truly reform and become productive citizens.  Countless hours of study, planning and negotiation by the members of the committee, have taken place to bring this new concept to Oklahoma and this unique opportunity to Ada.”

The Ada Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) led the process by establishing a Youth Academy Committee to review the feasibility and implications of the project in the Ada community. Committee members included Dr. Steve Turner – Chairman, Michael Southard, Ken Johnson, David Hathcoat, Winford Wood, Jim Hamby, Jimmy Eppler, and Bart McCortney. AIDC also had the foresight to acquire the property that will be the location of the campus. 

Dr. Steve Turner, who led the initial committee noted, “The success of this project is vested in the community and its spirit of collaboration.  The City Council, County Commissioner, AIDC, Ada Jobs  Foundation, Chamber of Commerce, Sen. Paddack, Rep. Thomsen, local churches, East Central University, and the others that wrote letters of support came together as they did with the CLEET Project in 2001 to enable Ada to make positive change in the lives of Oklahoma’s youth.  The Youth Academy Committee worked long hours with the Authority to create a dynamic and innovative proposal.  We are pleased that OJA recognized the value of the proposal and selected Ada.”

Committee member and President of the Ada Jobs Foundation, Michael Southard stated, “This project fit an existing law enforcement and public safety cluster in the Ada area. Additionally, the majority of the positions created by the academy are professional jobs with degree programs at East Central University, which allows for internships and job placement opportunities.”

The City of Ada created the Ada Youth Academy Authority as a public trust for the sole purpose of overseeing the project. Members include Greg Pierce – Chairman, Dexter Pruitt – Vice Chair, Dr. Jaime Burns – Secretary/Treasurer, Pat Harrison, and Bill Horne Jr. Mayor Darrell Nemecek said this about the academy, I was very happy to learn the youth academy will be located here. The academy will have a tremendous economic impact on our community and create additional professional jobs. He noted that he was proud of all those who worked hard on Ada’s proposal and that landing this academy confirms, once again, that Ada is one of the state’s most progressive and diversified communities.

“We are excited to bring an innovative project to the Ada area that will create 110 quality jobs with an average salary and benefits of $43,000” stated Chairman Pierce.

Other partners on the Ada Youth Academy are: Architects in Partnership (AIP) of Norman, KMD Architects of San Francisco, Manhattan Construction of Oklahoma City, and Rite of Passage Inc. of Nevada.

Both AIP and KMD have experience in constructing justice and juvenile justice facilities in Oklahoma and across the country.

 Manhattan Construction has over 114 years of experience and is recognized for their on-time and safety track records and one of Manhattan’s most notable projects is the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

Rite of Passage Inc. will operate the academic campus and brings 26 years of experience to the project. Their strong record of successful operations in five states made them the ideal operator for this project.   Ski Broman, ROP CEO stated, “Rite of Passage operates similar facilities in other states. The Ada community has truly wowed us with their commitment and enthusiasm for this project. Our proposal included nearly 20 letters of support from the community, which is unheard of in this business. We look forward to building a long term relationship with the community.”

For more information about the Ada Youth Academy, please contact the Ada Jobs Foundation at (580) 235-0070 or info@adaworks.org.