CARSON CITY -- A Clark County juvenile court judge on Thursday said that the state must keep juvenile offenders in youth training facilities longer to ensure they get the help they need to go straight.

District Judge William Voy told a legislative subcommittee that because of space limitations youth offenders typically spent only four months at state detention programs in Caliente and Elko. He said they need to stay a much longer time to abandon a life of crime.

State detention programs do not offer substance abuse programs and at least 70 percent of juvenile offenders have drug and mental health problems, Voy said.

"You have nothing," Voy said. "It's shocking. We have to get these kids at 13, 14 or 15 and do something because at 25 they ain't changing."

He asked legislators to be understanding next year if juvenile court judges come before the Legislature and request funding for new juvenile detention facilities.

"I hate to say it, but it does come down to dollars," Voy said. "We need the right programs, but programs cost dollars. We are attempting to effect change in children so they do not end up in the adult (correctional) system."

Assistant District Attorney Robert Teuton said, "What is needed is resources. We need to lengthen the time (in state training facilities) to bring about a behavioral change in youth."

But Fernando Serrano, administrator of the Division of Child and Family Services, said the cost of constructing a new juvenile detention facility or sending offenders to private facilities would be prohibitive.

The state has space for 376 children in its juvenile detention facilities, Serrano said. There currently are 10 vacancies. He said that he needs to know from judges how many additional spots are needed for youth offenders.

Prison officials said they have 23 youths under age 18 in adult correctional facilities. Two are 15.

In an interview, Serrano said he favors home-based programs for juvenile offenders, rather than sending them to the youth camps.

The administrator also pointed out that sending offenders to private detention facilities quickly would cripple the budgets of counties.

Serrano said the cost of sending an offender to the Rite of Passage private detention program in Douglas County is $120 to $146 per day.

But Voy contended that the state cannot even fully staff the Caliente and Elko facilities. He said there is no place for people to live in Caliente and potential workers in Elko take better paying jobs "in the gold fields."

Elko workers mainly come from rural Nevada and are "ill equipped to deal with urban kids," he said.

But Assemblyman Bernie Anderson, D-Sparks, agreed with Voy that the state is "not doing a very good job" providing facilities and programs to keep youth offenders from repeating their crimes.

"It always seems to come down to money," Voy said.

Voy and others delivered their testimony during the meeting of the Subcommittee to Study Sentencing and Pardons, Parole and Probation.