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Yankton officials weigh $4–6 million juvenile detention proposal; approve one-year placements contract
Summary
Sheriff and consultants presented a feasibility study proposing an 8-bed juvenile facility attached to the county jail with a $4.4M–$6M concept budget and projected first-year operating costs near $286,000. Commissioners approved a one-year contract for 2026 JDC placements at the revised Sioux Falls rate of $522 per night and asked for more scenario modeling before any bond decision.
Sheriff Preston Crissy and a team of architects and consultants presented a juvenile detention feasibility study to the Yankton County Commission on Dec. 16, laying out program goals, design choices and high-level cost estimates and asking the commission to consider local capacity to reduce out-of-county placement costs.
Sheriff Crissy said historical juvenile-hold costs have risen markedly: the county spent roughly $272,027 in 2024 for out-of-county juvenile placements and lower totals in earlier years. “I believe it is time for us to reevaluate how Yankton County is handling juvenile detention,” he said, arguing that keeping youth local preserves family contact, educational continuity and reduces transportation burdens.
Architects described a co-located addition to the existing county jail encompassing staff-secure and short-term secure areas, classroom space and outdoor recreation. The lead construction estimate for building-only elements was about $4.4 million, while a broader concept budget including soft costs, fees and contingencies was presented at roughly $5.9–$6.0 million. Consultants recommended an 8-bed staffing model aligned with best-practice staffing ratios.
Operational assumptions: consultants estimated first-year operating expenses around $286,000 and combined debt service plus operations roughly $750,000 in year 1, rising toward $900,000 over 20 years under assumptions presented. Their financial scenarios assumed varying mixes of local versus out-of-county occupancy; one sensitivity the commission requested was a 50/50 split (half Yankton juveniles, half out-of-county placements) so commissioners could see downside risks if neighboring counties did not use the facility as projected.
Short-term action: commissioners approved a one-year juvenile-detention placement agreement for 2026 with the Sioux Falls juvenile detention provider at the revised rate of $522.02 per night (the provider had originally proposed $555 per night earlier in the year). The agreement approved is for 2026 only; commissioners asked the consultants to return with more conservative revenue/occupancy scenarios, a breakdown of professional and operating line items, and historical bed-night data for county-owned placements to support future decisions.
Why it matters: Facility construction would be a multi-million-dollar capital decision requiring public discussion of bonding, levy impact and whether the county can attract sufficient out-of-county use to offset operating and debt costs. Approving short-term placements secures capacity for 2026 while giving the commission time to evaluate local construction and financing options.
What’s next: Consultants will provide alternative scenarios (e.g., 4 Yankton / 4 out-of-county), detailed operational line-item estimates, and comparisons to current annual out-of-county spending. Commissioners discussed ballot timing and indicated a preference to let voters decide if a bond is proposed.
