Yankton sheriff outlines plan for 8‑bed regional juvenile facility, seeks county support

Preston Christie, Yankton County sheriff, presented a feasibility study and design for an eight‑bed, staff‑secured juvenile facility and asked surrounding counties whether they would consider routing juveniles and contracting bed nights to the proposed center. Christie said the facility would be adjacent to Yankton’s existing public safety center and include intake and assessment space, medical exam rooms, classroom/education space and a secure courtyard intended to support short‑term confinement and programming.

Christie said counties are increasingly paying thousands of dollars a year to house juveniles in Minnehaha County facilities in Sioux Falls, and that those costs were rising: "right now we're at $497 a day" per juvenile for placements in some secure facilities, and Christie said that rate is scheduled to increase to about $550 next year. He said Yankton County spent roughly $300,000 last year on juvenile detention placements and has done a feasibility study the county funded for about $50,000.

The proposed facility, as Christie described it, would be a single‑level, roughly 4,000‑square‑foot building with a centralized intake and assessment area, short‑term maximum security holding for a small number of juveniles, and an adjacent staff‑secured housing area with day rooms, classroom space and controlled outdoor recreation. Christie said staffing ratios for a facility connected to the public safety center would be more lenient than an off‑site building and that the design anticipates two staff per eight juveniles for the staff‑secured model. He said the building would be connected to the existing public safety facility to allow a lower staffing and programmatic burden than a standalone structure.

Christie said Yankton has discussed a number of financing options, including a possible bond measure or extending existing debt, and that Yankton’s commissioners would make the final decision about capital funding. He said Yankton is not presently asking for cash contributions, but wants to know whether surrounding counties would contract for bed nights at a future agreed‑upon rate (the same arrangement counties currently use when purchasing bed nights in Sioux Falls). "If you do house at our facility you will pay the x amount of money that we're asking," Christie said, describing an annual bed‑night contract model rather than an immediate funding request.

Commissioners from neighboring counties asked about staffing, the risk‑assessment (RAI/"raise") process used to determine placement, and the implications for schooling and programming. Christie described Yankton’s Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI) work and said a local JDAI coordinator and community partners (school district, mental‑health providers, Boys & Girls Club) were involved in the feasibility study and program planning. Several commissioners expressed general support, said the proposal "seems sensible," and noted the potential long‑term savings compared with repeated out‑of‑county placements.

The presentation produced no formal county action; commissioners agreed to remain informed and discuss possible commitments as Yankton develops final costs, agreements and a bond timeline. Christie said he would continue outreach to neighboring counties and provide more formal proposals as they are finalized.