SALISBURY, Md. (AP) - The Lower Shore DRILL Academy will close in the wake of abuse allegations, causing 29 deputies to lose their jobs, Wicomico County Sheriff R. Hunter Nelms said.

"It is shut down, period," said Nelms, whose office oversees the facility. "It will not reopen under the Sheriff's Office, and the (Wicomico) County Council will make a decision as to the property."

The sheriff said the academy will close as soon as all students are relocated, which is expected by the end of the week. Nelms said he is trying to find jobs at other local law enforcement agencies for the deputies.

Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Kenneth Montague said Friday that the state wanted the academy to remain open.

"We're not interested in shutting it down," said Montague, who said he plans to meet with Nelms and county and state officials about the situation next week.

At least two youngsters or their families have complained about harsh treatment at the Discipline Respect Integrity Learning Leadership Academy, which was opened in December and operated by the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office.

Department of Juvenile Services officials declined to describe the allegations. But the mother of one of the boys, Monica Sisler of Cecil County, has said her 16-year-old son told her that officers forced him and others to guzzle a gallon of water at a time. When they vomited, they were forced to "swim," wallowing in and cleaning up the mess with the clothes they were wearing, Sisler said.

A juvenile services spokeswoman said an agency investigator was told of the allegations about two weeks ago, and state police have been investigating. Juvenile services issued a statement Wednesday that it was moving all youths held at the academy.

The drill academy is the only facility left in the state using the boot camp model.

In 1999, the state closed several juvenile boot camps in Western Maryland. Last year, the state paid a $4.6 million settlement to youths who had spent time in the camps. In mid-September, an independent monitor reported that understaffing at the state-run Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center was creating dangerous conditions for both youths and staff.