Douglas County officials review rising juvenile detention stays amid debate over empty new "kids jail"

Douglas County officials received a year-end review and recent snapshot of the Douglas County Youth Center (DCYC) population on Feb. 4, 2025, showing fewer juvenile citations and admissions than 2023 but a higher average daily population and longer lengths of stay.

The presentation to the Douglas County Board of Commissioners said juvenile citations fell from about 3,200 in 2023 to about 2,600 in 2024, and admissions to DCYC declined from 871 to 746. Despite that, average daily population in 2024 was 88 youth, up from 79 in 2023, and the average time in detention rose to about 68 days overall (156 days for youth in adult court; 48 days for juvenile-court youth).

The report noted several contributing details: on Jan. 13 the county had 95 youth in detention (42 charged in adult court, 50 in juvenile court), about 61 percent of youth had been detained more than 45 days, and 39 youth in the facility on Jan. 13 were readmitted within six months of a prior release. Race and gender disparities were flagged: staff said youth of color remained…