# Lawmakers Question State Plan to Close Aging Whitehall Youth Facility **Published:** 2026-06-30T22:15:50.000Z **Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/30/nebraska-officials-push-for-response-to-aging-whitehall-youth-center-but-lawmakers-have-concerns/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/lawmakers-question-state-plan-to-close-aging-whitehall-youth-facility LINCOLN, Neb. — [State officials are pushing to address deteriorating conditions at Whitehall Psychiatric Residential and Treatment Facility](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/30/nebraska-officials-push-for-response-to-aging-whitehall-youth-center-but-lawmakers-have-concerns/), but lawmakers remain divided on the proposed solution that would vacate the 30-year-old Lincoln campus entirely. The Nebraska Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee heard testimony Tuesday about maintenance issues plaguing the facility at 5903 Walker Avenue, where 67 staff members and 15 male adolescents currently reside. The building has experienced flooding in the basement, inadequate bathroom ventilation and rodent infestations that violate Americans with Disabilities Act standards, according to state documents. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates repairs would cost $6.3 million. Instead of funding those fixes, DHHS and the Department of Corrections have proposed closing Whitehall entirely and relocating residents to other youth facilities across Nebraska. The complete transition would move youths from multiple detention centers statewide, including sending girls from YRTC-Hastings to YRTC-Kearney. "We do have what feels like a lit wick on a stick of dynamite," said State Sen. Brian Hardin of Gering, chair of the HHS Committee, referencing the urgency of addressing structural problems. Hardin pointed to the 2019 closure of YRTC-Geneva, a girl's facility that shut down due to staffing shortages and inadequate conditions. Yet several committee members expressed skepticism about the transition plan. Sen. John Fredrickson of Omaha raised concerns that moving residents, particularly girls from Hastings to Kearney, raises safety questions given [recent allegations of staff sexual abuse at the Kearney facility](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/12/pattern-of-alleged-staff-sex-abuse-at-nebraskas-youth-detention-center-emerges-in-court/). State officials denied the proposed moves were related to those reports. Thomas Janousek, director of DHHS' behavioral health division, testified that Whitehall serves a unique population — male adolescents who have committed sexual offenses and those with substance abuse issues. He said Whitehall's specialized Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility license would require moving those youth to YRTC-Hastings, the facility he argued most closely resembles Whitehall's therapeutic environment. Committee member Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston suggested the state was prioritizing facility concerns over youth needs. "I feel like today, all of you may be here to try to convince us...that your way is the best way," Riepe said. "I'm not convinced of that." Bo Botello, DHHS chief legal officer, explained that because the state does not own the Whitehall building, the department has not budgeted for routine maintenance. He said responsibility lies with the state's building administrator. But Fredrickson countered that DHHS staff working at Whitehall daily should be reporting maintenance issues to building officials. No youths have been moved from any facility as of Tuesday. DHHS officials said relocations cannot proceed until new destinations have adequate staffing and licenses in place. The proposed transition, if approved, would affect approximately 120 Nebraska youth and aim to be completed by the end of 2026. ## Sources - [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/30/nebraska-officials-push-for-response-to-aging-whitehall-youth-center-but-lawmakers-have-concerns/) - [Nebraska Examiner reporting on staff sexual abuse allegations at YRTC-Kearney](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/10/12/pattern-of-alleged-staff-sex-abuse-at-nebraskas-youth-detention-center-emerges-in-court/) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/06/30/nebraska-officials-push-for-response-to-aging-whitehall-youth-center-but-lawmakers-have-concerns/.