Summer reading programs can be a way for kids to beat seasonal boredom and keep up their skills. But for some kids housed at the Durango Juvenile Detention Facility in Phoenix, Maricopa County Reads is a lifeline.
This year marks the fifth summer that Durango has offered the county reading program. More than 100 kids within the center have signed up.
Christina Badilla with juvenile probation manages the program. She said the facility brings in the program hoping to inspire a love for reading, one that lasts beyond kids time at the center.
“A lot of the kids who participated in this program, maybe, aren’t the biggest fan of reading,” Badilla said. “And so when they see this program, the incentives — and ultimately the excitement around it — they like to engage.”
One juvenile, who KJZZ is not naming to protect their privacy, said reading helps calm them and gives them motivation.
“I picture myself in a different place when I'm reading, so like, I like reading. I’ve liked reading since I got here, and it just, it gives me something to look forward to with the program.”
Kids in the facility can check out up to two books at a time within the center's on-site library, which offers multiple genres and reading levels.
Another juvenile in the program said he enjoys reading a wide variety of genres: “I like fantasy, fiction. Like social books, romance books. That’s my cup of tea.”
Badilla said kids at the facility have logged nearly 200,000 minutes read, 25% more than last year.
In addition to checking out books, kids at Durango can apply to manage the library through the in-house job program. Kids create a resume, apply and go through a panel interview to become familiar with the job application process.
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