Rising Juvenile Crime Pushes Youth Detention Center to Capacity, Sparks Hiring Efforts for YSC

Albuquerque –

Bernalillo County’s Youth Services Center (YSC) is grappling with a surge in juvenile crime, reflecting a broader trend across Albuquerque and the state. Officials are collaborating with elected leaders and community stakeholders to address the crisis at the facility, which is currently at full capacity for male juveniles and nearing its limit for female juveniles.

“We are experiencing a crisis among our youth and unfortunately, this is not just a Bernalillo County issue. We are seeing similar situations statewide with only four juvenile detention facilities and about 200 beds,” says Deputy County Manager of Public Safety Greg Perez. “We are grateful for the partnerships we have with our local leaders and will continue to work together to address the matter.”

Currently, YSC is housing 66* male juveniles, hitting its maximum capacity, and the facility’s overall space allotment stands at 78 beds. In 2024, the average daily population was 54, with resident stays ranging from two to 1,098 days. The increase in juvenile crime has put further strain on the facility, making it more difficult to accommodate new intakes.

While increasing capacity may seem like a straightforward solution, staffing shortages remain a major hurdle. “We wish the solution was as simple as increasing capacity, but we also need more staffing. Up until this point YSC has not had to turn away juveniles from Bernalillo County since June. We have maintained the required staffing ratio through the amazing work of staff and by mandating overtime posts, but this will not sustain operations long term,” said YSC Director Tamera Marcantel.

To address the staffing shortfall, YSC is actively recruiting for positions such as Youth Program Officer I and II (hiring flyer is at the bottom of the article). These roles involve maintaining security and discipline within the facility to ensure the safety of residents, staff, and the community. New hires receive benefits including medical insurance, paid time off, and retirement plans, as well as a $5,000 sign-on incentive upon successful completion of a nine-month probationary period.

To accelerate the hiring process, YSC will host a rapid hire job fair on Saturday, March 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Interested applicants can visit www.bernco.gov/jobs to apply or bring their resumes to the hiring event.

As juvenile crime rates continue to rise, local officials stress the urgency of strengthening youth intervention programs and improving detention facility resources to address the growing crisis.

*The email release earlier today stated the male population at YSC was recorded as 66. As of 9:00 PM, the dashboard indicates a male population of 65 and a female population of 7, resulting in a total YSC population of 72. The average days incarcerated per the dashboard is 140. YSC has made the population dashboard viewable to the public at: https://www.bernco.gov/youth-services-center/ysc-population-dashboard/

You can learn more about the YSC hiring event here: https://www.bernco.gov/youth-services-center/blog/2025/02/21/youth-services-center-works-with-stakeholders-to-address-increase-in-intake/

Below are just some of the articles we have done in the last six months on juvenile crime: