Illinois Juvenile Detention Centers Running Out Of Space

(Springfield, IL) — Juvenile detention centers in Illinois are running out of room, presenting serious challenges. Detention centers are meant to provide temporary detention services to juveniles before their cases go through the state court system. However the prolonged closure of Sangamon County Juvenile Detention Center in Springfield because of a deadly incident and a Franklin County center being closed over staffing shortages have caused the rest of Illinois’ facilities to reach limited capacity. There are just 14 other remaining facilities statewide that are also dealing with consistent difficulty in remaining properly staffed in recent years. If facilities stay without beds, youth who have been arrested for crimes may have to wait much longer for their court process or possibly even get released without facing any discipline.