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Supervisors seek better notice on juvenile detention matrix charges after billing concerns
Summary
The board discussed how Central Iowa Juvenile Detention charges are set by a daily matrix and asked staff to ensure the County Attorney’s office receives notifications when a juvenile’s matrix level changes — affecting daily costs that can range from about $250 to $400.
Benton County supervisors discussed recent information from Central Iowa Juvenile Detention about how detention charges are computed and asked for improved notification to the County Attorney’s office.
Officials described a matrix system the detention center uses to classify juveniles daily, which determines the daily charge to counties. Staff said the matrix can change daily depending on the juvenile’s behavior, and that the county can be charged at different daily rates; staff cited example daily rates of about $250 and up to $400 per day depending on the matrix level.
County staff asked that the County Attorney’s office be included on notifications about a detained juvenile’s current matrix level so the county can monitor expected charges. The board asked staff to reinforce the request with the detention center by email. No formal vote was taken on the request; it was recorded as a direction to staff to ensure notification procedures were in place.
Staff also said they had received and forwarded the detention center’s cost matrix to the county legal reviewer for follow‑up. The board did not authorize a budget amendment during the meeting.
