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Douglas County youth detention report shows long stays and racial disparities; advocates press for faster placements
Summary
A DCYC year-end presentation showed sizable average lengths of stay and racial disproportionality among youth in detention; commissioners and community providers urged new placement protocols, better communication with probation and consideration of time-based thresholds to reduce youths’ time in detention.
Douglas County officials and community providers on Jan. 13 reviewed the Douglas County Youth Center’s (DCYC) 2025 year-end detention report and discussed persistent long lengths of stay, racial disproportionality in admissions, and delays in moving youth to approved placements.
Dr. Abby Carbaugh, presenting the DCYC metrics, reported multi-year trends and demographic breakdowns. She noted that the center’s annual average daily population for 2025 was roughly 80 and reported racial disproportionality in admissions: Black youth accounted for about 55% of DCYC admissions in 2025 while White youth accounted for about 23% and Hispanic youth about 15%. The presenter described length-of-stay trends: an annual average near 69 days and an increase in December attributed in part to youth released on adult-court charges who spent…
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