Winnebago County juvenile detention center passes PREA audit; report flags staffing, education and recreation gaps

Debbie Jarvis, Winnebago County director of court services, told the County Board on April 10 that the county’s juvenile detention center has completed the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) fiscal-year 2024 audit and a separate PREA audit, and that the facility is now PREA‑compliant.

The audit and subsequent reporting matter because they document where the detention center meets standards and where the facility needs changes to meet state and federal expectations, Jarvis said. The county is using the findings to target staffing, reporting and case‑management improvements and to pursue funding to restore full operational capacity.

Jarvis said the detention center was built in 1992 as a 32‑bed facility and expanded in 1995 to a 48‑bed facility; because of staffing and PREA requirements the current operational capacity is 40 beds and the average daily population in 2024 hovered around 30 residents, rising to 32 on the day of the report. “Currently, our operational capacity is 40 residents,” Jarvis said. “Our average daily population within the detention center hovers about 30. Currently, as of today, it is 32.”

The IDJJ audit, completed in September 2024 and received by the county in February 2025, identified both strengths and areas…