DuPage Juvenile Detention Facility Closed

Three months after the DuPage County Board approved a plan to transfer youthful offenders to Kane County, the DuPage County Juvenile Detention Facility (JDF) is now officially closed. Following the move of several detained juveniles to the Kane County regional detention center in St. Charles, all operations at the DuPage facility ceased last month. 

“This smooth transition shows how local officials can work together to consolidate services and save tax dollars while continuing to provide essential public safety needs,” said DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin, who spearheaded the partnership. “We must build new partnerships with our neighbors that will enable us to end duplicative services and make local government operate more efficiently in the future.” 

Officials from the DuPage County Probation Department hosted informational meetings with local police departments, scheduled visits to the Kane County center and completed intake/transportation plans prior to the closure of the JDF. An assistant superintendent with the Probation Department will serve as the liaison between DuPage and Kane Counties to supervise screening and transportation needs. In order to facilitate contact and minimize travel time, the County’s IT Department has established a secure internet connection that will permit juveniles, court personnel and family members to communicate on a regular basis.

Cost-savings projections estimate the closure of the facility will save nearly $1 million per year in personnel and operational costs. A total of 16 County employees were laid-off last month and Kane County officials intend to re-hire at least four of the employees.

“While we recognize these measures are not pain-free, we also know that we need to take steps to save tax dollars in the future,” Cronin said. “This partnership is a good example of how collaboration can work effectively on behalf of DuPage taxpayers.”