By Stephen Claybrook, Community Relations Coordinator, Ron Jackson Juvenile Correctional Complex
Youth and youth coaches enjoyed an “All Youth Swim Weekend,” celebrating the reopening of the campus pool after recent renovations to the pool and recreation area.
Youth splashed in shifts, with each dorm group taking its turn at a set time, in keeping with social distancing rules related to COVID-19.
The girls exercised and played pool games while life guards supervised.
“The pool renovation has been a huge success” said Daniel Nix, Manager of Secure Operations at Ron Jackson. The renovation, which involved resurfacing the pool, was a combined effort led by TJJD and Ron Jackson’s Maintenance Department.
The Brown County Community Resource Council, volunteers who support the youth and the campus, gave generously to the project. The Council purchased pool floats, football, kickboards, noodles, volleyball, basketballs for use in the pool, as well as stainless steel benches for those youth to sit on while resting poolside.
Superintendent Lisa Broussard said that the pool was non-operational when she started at Ron Jackson in 2019. Given the option to fill it in and convert the space to a new use or restore the pool, she and her administrative team chose the latter.
“It’s great for aerobic exercise and a way to do fun activities,” she said. “And we’ll always have a trained life guard on duty at all times. We’re going to test every kid on campus so we’ll know who is a skilled swimmer and who is not. That’s the only criteria to access (the pool). . . If you’re not a good swimmer you won’t be in the deep end.”
Additionally, she said, the pool will be available for staff to use as a wellness perk. The pool operated that way before, and Broussard said she wants to continue that program.
“I’m excited. It’s so expensive to create a pool,” she said, “and the fact that we already had one, it just made sense to use it.”