A company that operates residential facilities for juvenile offenders has challenged a decision by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice to terminate a contract in Santa Rosa County and prevent the firm from bidding on other contracts.

The challenge, filed by Youth Services International, Inc., was sent this week to the state Division of Administrative Hearings.

Youth Services has had contracts to operate nine juvenile facilities in Florida, including the Santa Rosa Substance Abuse Treatment Center. But in an Aug. 20 letter, the Department of Juvenile Justice terminated the Santa Rosa contract and prevented Youth Services from seeking other contracts for 12 months, saying the firm had not taken adequate steps at the Santa Rosa facility to "provide a safe and secure therapeutic environment for our youth."

But in the legal challenge, Youth Services disputes the department's position.

In part, the company pointed to department decisions to transfer juveniles to the Santa Rosa facility from another facility in Madison County that was closed after "significant disruptions." It said several of the youths transferred from the Madison facility caused problems and were involved in an Aug. 16 incident that involved destroying property and altercations between residents.

"YSI (Youth Services International) appropriately handled the events by intervening between the participants and calling law enforcement,'' the company said in the legal challenge.

"After reviewing the video tapes, law enforcement arrested eight of the individual youth involved."

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