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Juvenile Detention Center director reports higher bed use and staffing changes; commission approves 2025 per‑diem contracts
Summary
JDC Director Jamie reported a small increase in daily population and bed use in 2024, described ongoing challenges with assaultive behavior and high prevalence of youth with mental‑health diagnoses, and outlined transition plans for a new facility. Commissioners approved multi‑county per‑diem contracts and a separate Lincoln County agreement.
Jamie, director of Minnehaha County Juvenile Detention Center (JDC), told commissioners that JDC saw a modest increase in average daily population and overall bed use in 2024 and continues to face challenges placing high‑needs youth.
Jamie reported the JDC completed about 16,615 intake calls in 2024; the facility averaged just over 30 youths per day and used just under 11,000 bed nights — about a 4% increase in bed use from 2023. Jamie said Minnehaha County accounted for a higher share of beds in 2024 (about 63% of total beds used) compared with previous years, which reduced available capacity for other counties that place youths at the facility.
The director described operational challenges: a continued number of assaultive incidents, particularly youth‑on‑staff events that often occur during physical restraints; a larger share of long‑stay youth charged as adults; and difficulty placing some youth with developmental or behavioral diagnoses because facility or treatment programs have long wait lists or exclude higher‑needs cases. Jamie said roughly 80–85% of youths have a documented diagnosis and many are medicated; the number of long‑stay youth increased in 2024.
Jamie said staff turnover has been high in recent years but that applicant interest improved late in 2024 with larger applicant pools and more applicants holding bachelor’s degrees. The JDC transition team is preparing to occupy a new facility (target move in August) and staff are walking the building and finalizing policies; the new facility design adds staff support spaces, an intake/float staffing model, separate day rooms for higher‑needs youth, and on‑site staff showers and locker rooms intended to improve supervision and retention.
Commissioners considered and approved the JDC’s annual per‑diem contracts with counties that use the facility. The commission approved two motions: (1) authorization for the chair to sign 2025 per‑diem contracts for the multi‑county agreements (excluding Lincoln County) and (2) a separate motion authorizing the chair to sign the Lincoln County agreement (which includes additional community‑supervision and evening report services). Jamie provided the 2025 daily rates: JDC secure bed rate $497.80 per day; ARISE ShelterCare $296.14 per day; community supervision $80.13 per day; evening report center $55.57 per day. Both motions passed on roll‑call votes.
Jamie also reported that the JDC construction project remains near schedule, with minor weather‑related slowdowns and no major budget problems; some previously deferred scope items may be reconsidered for addition to the project, and staff said they would return to the commission with recommendations.
