McHenry County To Continue Housing Arrested Juveniles in St. Charles

Discussion has occurred for decades over how to meet state requirements to house arrested juviniles.

To build a juvenile jail or not.

That was the question.

The conclusion has been to drive them to Kane County’s facility in St. Charles , which was determined to be cheaper than investing in bricks and mortar locally.

It’s that time of year for a decision on what to do for the next year.

Chief Judge Michael W. Feetterer recommended continuing the current arrangement.

The Law and Justice Committee was presented the following report:

The Illinois Juvenile Court Act requires that juveniles in need of secure detention must be placed in specialized facilities separate from adults.

Since McHenry County does not have its own juvenile detention center,

McHenry County juveniles have been housed at various detention facilities throughout Illinois over the years.

During times of state-wide detention bed shortages, McHenry County juveniles were housed as far away as St. Clair County (Belleville) in southern Illinois.

In 1999, McHenry County entered into the first of several agreements with Kane County’s Juvenile Justice Center (JJC) in St. Charles, Illinois.

By statute, the power to authorize detention is limited to the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court of McHenry County and designated Probation Officers.

The McHenry County Department of Probation and Court Services operates a twenty-four hour a day on-call system in order to respond to county law enforcement agencies who have a juvenile in custody and are requesting authorization to detain.

As required by the Juvenile Court Act, the decision to detain is subject to review by a judge within 40 hours, (excluding weekends and holidays). All other detention admissions are the direct result of a court order, including warrants.

The initial transporting of juveniles in custody to detention and then to court is the responsibility of the law enforcement agency who took the juvenile into custody.

Subsequent transports to and from court become the responsibility of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department.

Kane County has indicated a desire to continue the long-standing partnership and has asked that a new intergovernmental agreement be reached.

Although McHenry County has studied and debated this issue for decades, based on current economic considerations it is clear that accessing another county’s detention beds through an intergovernmental agreement is the most viable option.

The secure custody and care of juveniles requires a specialized facility, well-trained staff, and professional management.

The Kane County JJC has provided excellent services to McHenry County since 1999.

The agreement would continue McHenry County’s access to detention beds at a rate of $225.00 per bed used, per day