6 juveniles at Nampa corrections center barricaded themselves in room for half day

Six boys used furniture to barricade themselves inside a classroom at the Juvenile Corrections Center-Nampa Tuesday morning — after being asked to hand over a gang-related drawing that depicted violent behavior, according to a spokesman for the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections.

No one was hurt in the incident, Jeff Ray said. Facility staff notified the parents of the children involved.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the facility’s staff made no attempt to enter the classroom,” Ray said. “They could have easily done so but chose to try to resolve the situation with reason, not force.”

The boys involved ranged in age from 16 to 18. They became disruptive when asked to turn the drawing over to staff.

“Staff counseled with the juveniles to help them see the importance of ending the standoff peacefully without violence,” Ray said. One of their demands was to be released from the custody of the Department of Correction.

There are currently 66 juveniles housed at the 84-bed Juvenile Corrections Center, 1650 11th Ave. North in Nampa. They are 14 to 18 years old.

The Tuesday incident was resolved at 10:45 p.m., when the last four of the six juveniles voluntarily left the classroom. No one was injured, so no assault charges will be filed, Ray said, but no decision has been made on other possible charges.

Katy Moeller: 208-377-6413

This story was originally published September 26, 2018 at 5:37 PM.