Re “City juvenile detention center re-certified,” March 17-19 edition:

Good job, Rodney Baskerville, superintendent of the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center, and staff. They not only passed the audit, but received 100 percent in all areas.

In May 2012, Mayor Dwight C. Jones shut down the detention center after many deficiencies were found in security and staff oversight. Having worked there for more than 30 years, I did not believe this type of negligence could occur, but it did.

I knew Mr. Baskerville was the right person to direct the detention center when they re-opened in July 2013. The staff was overhauled with many new and competent staff members put in place, certainly with extensive training.

I can tell you from experience that it is not easy to pass the audit. To receive 100 percent in all categories is phenomenal.

This makes me proud again to be a former employee of this institution and to know children are being treated fairly. Youths, whether or not they are locked up, deserve the best we can give them, and, above all, they deserve to be treated fairly.

I am not naive to think all of the juveniles will change, but some will. All we can do while they are incarcerated is give it our best.

Kudos to all of the staff that helped turned around the center. Keep up the good work and God bless each and every one of you.

ERNEST PARKER JR.

Richmond

The writer is a former interim superintendent of the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center.