Closing of Bridge Institute Costs State of Georgia $690,000

June 3, 2002 Closing of Bridge Institute Costs State of Georgia $690,000On April 12, 2002, the Bridge Institute in Athens, Georgia closed after opening in December, rendering 90 people unemployed and costing the state $690,000 during the four-month span. The Bridge Institute, designed to house male juvenile offenders with psychological problems, was operated by the private, Virginia-based First Corrections Corp. under contract with the State Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). According to DJJ investigations, problems surfaced at the Bridge Institute shortly after it was opened. A January 6 report stated that a residential counselor was having . . .