Kern County Juvenile Hall to Get New Multipurpose Building

The new two-story facility will feature indoor and outdoor basketball courts, meeting rooms, and other amenities for juvenile detainees.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 9:58pm

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The Kern County Planning Commission has approved the construction of a new 15,239-square-foot multipurpose building at the Probation Youth Detention Center in east Bakersfield. The two-story facility will include an indoor basketball court, meeting rooms, interview rooms, a game room, and other amenities aimed at providing a controlled exercise and recreation space for both male and female juvenile probation detainees.

Why it matters

The new building is part of ongoing efforts to improve the facilities and programming at Kern County's juvenile detention center, which houses youth who have been charged with crimes. Providing access to recreational activities and meeting spaces can help support the rehabilitation and reintegration of juvenile offenders.

The details

The first floor of the new building will feature an indoor basketball court, meeting room, interview rooms, a game room, offices, and restrooms. The second floor will include an additional meeting room, an observation mezzanine, and more staff restrooms. The project also includes a new outdoor basketball court surrounded by a 16-foot-high security fence, as well as a fenced walkway connecting the new building to the boys' and girls' housing units.

  • The Kern County Planning Commission approved the conditional use permit for the proposed building during its meeting on March 31, 2026.
  • If no one files an appeal against the project within 14 days of the approval date, the Planning Commission's approval will be considered final.

The players

Kern County Planning Commission

The government body that approved the conditional use permit for the new juvenile detention center building.

Probation Youth Detention Center

The juvenile detention facility in east Bakersfield where the new multipurpose building will be constructed.

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What’s next

If the project is not appealed within 14 days, construction on the new building can begin.

The takeaway

The new multipurpose building at the Kern County Juvenile Hall is part of ongoing efforts to improve the facilities and programming available to youth in the criminal justice system, with the goal of supporting their rehabilitation and reintegration into the community.