County youth‑center report: average daily population ~87 in March; new 64‑bed facility remains empty amid debate

Douglas County staff on April 22 told commissioners that the county’s youth‑detention population averaged about 87 youth in March and that placement delays and admissions trends continued to drive length of stay.

Dr. Abby Carbaugh presented the Douglas County Youth Center (DCYC) monthly report for March 2025. She said the facility’s weekly average daily population has been driven in part by youth charged as adults, which rose from about 34 in mid‑December 2024 to roughly 44 in January 2025 and has remained near that level through March. Carbaugh reported a March low of 85 and a high of 91, yielding an average daily population of about 87 for the month. Admissions in March totaled 47.

Carbaugh gave a breakdown of March admissions and case types: five admissions were on adult‑court charges, 41 on juvenile‑court charges and one from another county. Of the juvenile‑court admissions, 23 were in predisposition status, four received new charges while on probation, and 14 were admitted for reasons other than new law violations. She said eight admissions were weapons‑related (seven firearms and one other weapon), with six classified as felony‑level firearm offenses. Carbaugh also said 66% of the youth population were minorities, 14% female, and about 20% homeless or nearly homeless.

Carbaugh reported 11 youth had active court orders authorizing release once an appropriate placement was found; those youth had been awaiting placement an average of 16 days. The report listed a range of placement types sought, including foster care, group homes, PRTFs, and transfers to out‑of‑county facilities.

Commissioners and DCYC Superintendent Randy Woodard discussed facility capacity and options. Commissioners noted the county’s newly constructed facility across the street has a 64‑bed capacity but remained empty; commissioners and the public debated whether to move youth to that building, refurbish the 40‑Second‑Street facility, or keep operations as is. Woodard said the county’s team would conduct a walkthrough the next day to finalize refurbishment priorities and prepare recommendations for commissioners.

Commissioners voiced differing views. Commissioner Rogers said moving some populations to the newer building could be done on a three‑ to six‑month timeline and argued that such a move would allow the county to repurpose the existing facility and press the state to address placement issues. Commissioner Kavanaugh and others expressed concern that a direct bed‑count comparison was misleading because a large share of current detainees are adults‑charged youth who would be eligible for different placement decisions; Kavanaugh asked for more precise breakdowns before deciding on building use. Commissioner Cavanaugh criticized the empty building and said the county was spending significant ongoing funds to keep it vacant; a member of the public, Larry Storff, urged transparency.

Carbaugh and Woodard said staffing remains a concern at DCYC and that recruitment and compensation adjustments are part of the work to maintain educational continuity and services. Woodard confirmed a planned site walkthrough with facilities staff to refine project scope and cost estimates; commissioners set a public discussion on youth‑services options for May 8 at 10 a.m. in the Civic Center.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to return with costed options, including staffing and placement‑reduction strategies, and scheduled the May public session to continue the discussion.