Arkansas companies challenge youth services contract proposals

LITTLE ROCK — Two Arkansas companies that operate seven Youth Services Division facilities submitted protests Friday to the state’s intention to award a contract to run the facilities to an out-of-state company that has said it will charge the state more than the current operators charge.

Every seven years, the state is required to seek proposals from organizations interested in operating the juvenile treatment and juvenile offender facilities. Department of Human Services spokeswoman Amy Webb said it has been eight years since bids were taken because of a previous one-year extension.

A DHS evaluation committee reviewed the proposals and scored them based on how well they met a list of technical criteria. The state Department of Finance and Administration’s Office of State Procurement then took the scores and the bid amounts into consideration before announcing earlier this month it intended to award a contract to Youth Opportunity Investments of Carmel, Ind., to operate seven facilities.

DF&A intends for the Arkansas Juvenile Assessment and Treatment Center near Alexander to continue to be operated by Rite of Passage of Minden, Nev.

Read more: http://www.swtimes.com/news/20160827/arkansas-companies-challenge-youth-services-contract-proposals