AG Reviews Juvenile Contract Decision

The contract award for state ran juvenile treatment centers remains in limbo with less than 90 days until that transition is slated to take place.

After the state procurement’s office disqualified Rite of Passage, one of two vendors who bid on the contract, they moved forward with the alternative, Youth Opportunity Investments. Officials deemed that decision as final, with no recourse except through a circuit court appeal.

Surprisingly, however, last week the state procurement’s office handed over that decision to the Arkansas Attorney General’s office for a review.

ROP is asking for reconsideration in the decision that found them “ineligible due to nonperformance.” Their attorney admonished the action and threatened legal recourse.

State officials are finding themselves in a familiar quandary. In 2016
lawmakers failed to approve a contract. This ultimately led to the state takeover of the Youth Services Division.

Amy Webb, spokesman for the Department of Human Services, said the plan remains to make the transition to a private vendor on July 1.