San Francisco will close its youth detention centre by 2021

San Francisco will close its juvenile hall by the end of 2021 after supervisors voted to end the practice of holding children in jail cells while they await their judicial fate.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to close the 150-bed facility that currently houses 39 children.

Supervisors say the move makes San Francisco the first major U.S. city to shut down a youth detention facility.

Instead, the city will develop home-like and rehabilitative centres to house youth offenders. Those who pose a threat to public safety would go to a secure site.

Critics worry there’s not enough time to put the alternatives into place. Some have called to keep the centre open and update its treatment programs.

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com