ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, March 5, 1997               TAG: 9703050100
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-3  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: NORFOLK
SOURCE: Associated Press

FACILITY'S SECURITY IN QUESTION AFTER ESCAPE

Eighteen -year-old Joseph Medina, one of two teen-agers who escaped over the weekend from a newly opened center for youth offenders remained at large Tuesday, state police said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Juvenile Justice took all 24 teen-agers remaining at the Tidewater Residential Institute and moved them temporarily to a juvenile center in Richmond, department spokeswoman Cari Brunelle said.

Tidewater Residential Institute is operated by First Corrections Corp., a subsidiary of First Hospital Corp. of Norfolk. First Hospital also runs The Pines Residential Treatment Center in nearby Portsmouth. Pines residents, many of whom are juveniles, ran away in 1995 at the rate of nearly one every five days, according to published reports.

First Corrections opened the Tidewater center about two weeks ago to provide residential treatment for nonviolent offenders. Officials assured neighbors that steps were taken to make sure the building was secure.

LENGTH: Short :   29 lines