Hundreds Gather to Oppose Detention Center

     BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) _ A hostile crowd of nearly 250 people packed a meeting in Bridgeport as state officials presented plans for a $16 million detention center for delinquent girls.
     Politicians and city residents protested Thursday night that the proposed 36,000-square-foot center with a 6-foot-high fence would be in a residential neighborhood and house violent offenders.
     They said they were also upset that the Department of Children and Families has been planning the facility for two years but only told the city and residents about it in recent months.
     Connecticut has not had a secure center for troubled girls since the Long Lane School in Middletown closed in February 2003.
     Bridgeport state Rep. Christopher Caruso says he and other opponents will try to kill the proposal.


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     Information from: Connecticut Post, http://www.connpost.com

     (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)