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Washington County juvenile detention report shows longer stays, steady daily population
Summary
Director Tinsley told the County Services Committee that September saw 22 intakes, an average daily population of about 9.6 and an average length of stay of roughly 49.8 days; staff and justices attributed the longer stays largely to delays in placements with the Division of Youth Services.
Director Tinsley delivered the Washington County Juvenile Detention Center’s September report to the County Services Committee, saying the center recorded 22 intakes and an average daily population of 9.56 residents.
"In September, we had 22 intakes and the average length of stay was about 49.78 days," Director Tinsley said. He added that the report covered 25 days of data and that the most common charge among intakes was terroristic threatening, with four cases.
The committee pressed Tinsley on the sharp rise in length of stay compared with 2024 figures. "I thought I saw in here that it was about 5 days ... is that what you said?" Justice Wilson asked. Tinsley corrected the record: the roughly five-day average applied to 2024; for 2025 the center’s average was about 49.7 days.
Tinsley and justices identified delays in placement to the Division of Youth Services (DYS) as the primary driver of longer stays. "The waiting list and the turnaround time to get into DYS is almost 3 to 4 months," Tinsley said, describing cases committed to DYS that remained in county custody while awaiting placement.
Committee members also asked about medical transports and interventions. Tinsley said the center had six transports during the month — five handled by the juvenile detention center and one by central EMS — and described one instance that he believed was a severe panic attack rather than an injury.
On programming and recidivism, Tinsley said most juveniles are detained once and do not return. "A large percent of the time, I want to say about 70, 80%, we have juveniles that just get detained once and we don't see them again," he said. He described diversion programs and in-county services that give some juveniles alternatives to commitment in Little Rock.
Committee members requested additional materials: one justice asked for the regional "Returning Home" report once it is completed, and another asked for a copy of unincorporated-area statistics after they are published. Tinsley said some requested materials are not yet complete but promised to share them when available.
The report also broke down origin and charges: of the 22 intakes, 14 were from division 8 and eight from division 3; the most common intake charge was terroristic threatening (four cases). Tinsley said staff receive educational support from Fayetteville-area teachers to keep detained youths on track academically.
With no formal action required, the committee accepted the report and moved on to the next agenda item.
