Cook County Departmental Budget Hearings October 30, 2012

JTDC Administrator Expresses Concern with President’s Recommended Budget
Earl Dunlap, the Federal Court-Appointed Temporary Administrator of the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC), expressed concern that the President’s recommended JTDC budget of $42 million would not be enough and could either hamper the ability of the County to at last transition the JTDC from Federal Court supervision to the Chief Judge, or, if that transition occurs, hamper the Chief Judge’s ability to properly operate the facility.  Mr. Dunlap has presented the President with a $45.5 million budget. 

In particular, Mr. Dunlap is concerned that the President’s proposed budget relies on being able to close a second center within the JTDC (one is already closed) by June of 2013 based on being successful in the goal of lowering the daily population.  Mr. Dunlap pointed to the fact that as of that morning, there were 303 youths in the JTDC, which requires the use of the 3 current centers.  Mr. Dunlap says that the daily population can swing dramatically, and that it is common for there to be large increases over the weekend.  The problem is that there is no Judge on duty to make determinations on the weekend as to whether those youths picked up then need to be in the JTDC.  However, Mr. Dunlap did say that 46% of the population is there 7 days or less, which he says calls into question whether most of these youths needed to be in temporary detention at all.  So this is the area to look at if the daily population is to come down.

Budget Director Andrea Gibson told the County Board that unless the daily population does indeed drop, the second center will not be closed.  However, Ms. Gibson said that there is enough flexibility in the budget to handle keeping the third center open beyond June, and, if necessary, through the end of 2013.  Comm. Suffredin asked whether the Federal Judge overseeing the JTDC case has seen the President’s proposed budget.  Mr. Dunlap said “no.”  Comm. Suffredin suggested that the budget resolution to be passed by the Board be made flexible enough so the County could react to any concerns from the Court since the entire 2013 Budget is due to be passed before the Court will see the JTDC budget.

Mr. Dunlap, as in past years, expressed his disdain for the physical plant of the JTDC.   He also said that there were 2 main impediments to transitioning the JTDC to the Chief Judge:  (1) the critical safety issue resulting from a lack of video cameras, and (2) the lack of management technology.  However, there are capital dollars budgeted for 400 or so cameras to at last be installed at the JTDC.  These will provide evidence when youths complain about other youths or staff, and when staff complain about the youths’ behavior. 

A proposal is currently being reviewed by the County’s Chief Information Officer for a management system.  Related to that is the lack of any information from the Juvenile Probation and Court Services Department on youths being admitted to the JTDC.  However, since this department reports to the Chief Judge, it is unclear why information isn’t being given to the JTDC.

On the success side, Mr. Dunlap expressed his admiration for the majority of staff at the JTDC now.  He also said that the mental health services being provided to the JTDC are some of the best in the country.  

--Submitted by Priscilla Mims