By Holly Gilvary
The Journal Times, Racine, Wisc.
CALEDONIA, Wis. — The 25 youths serving criminal sentences in Racine County will soon move into a new facility that the county said is designed to “focus on rehabilitation, education and community connection.”
The Jonathan Delagrave Youth Development and Care Center at 2300 Three Mile Road in Caledonia will open for youth inmate occupancy May 1.
The YDCC is named after former Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave, who passed away in June 2024 while serving his third term as county executive.
The YDCC replaces Racine County’s current juvenile detention center, located inside the Dennis Kornwolf Service Center at 1717 Taylor Ave. in Racine .
The new facility includes 48 beds and is expected to serve about 400 youth annually through both secure detention and correctional placement, according to the county.
YDCC Superintendent Antonio Chavez said he expects the center will fill up by the end of the year, as many neighboring counties are interested in sending youth to the center.
An occupant’s length of stay ranges from a few days to several months, depending on court orders. The average stay is about 120 days, according to the county.
Racine County Juvenile Court Judge Kristin Cafferty said the current juvenile detention center is outdated, dark and “very correctional-based.”
“It is not at all focused on youth,” she said. “It is a more adult facility.”
Cafferty said the YDCC, provides a “less punitive” approach for youth by considering children’s home lives, trauma and other factors that led them to unlawful behaviors.
While these factors don’t excuse their behavior, Cafferty said detention centers “need to address the underlying causes of their behavior if we want to rehabilitate them.”
“We know from science, and we also know from talking with the kids about their lives, (that) most of the kids who are at the detention center have suffered from some type of traumatic experience,” she said. “We try to treat their underlying needs, which are varied … but they need love, most of all, and this facility represents love for all of the kids.”
A model for Wisconsin
Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson said the YDCC is the first Type 2 Residential Facility in the state, meaning the facility is not fenced in.
The center was designed to feel “welcoming and therapeutic,” according to the county, including features such as natural lighting; soft finishes; warm color palettes; private youth bedrooms with beds, desks, tablets and chalkboards; courtyards; a family-style cafeteria; private visitation rooms; a recording studio; a micro-nursery for plants; and a teaching garden.
Gender-specific programs are offered, including RISE=UP (Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence = Unlimited Potential) for boys and ASPIRE (Advancing Skills and Promoting Independence, Resilience, and Empowerment) for girls.
Both programs provide education through the Racine Unified School District , as well as emotional wellness training and job-readiness opportunities.
There are also mental health counselors on staff, and each occupant is assigned a counselor.
Counselors meet with youth at least once per month, depending on each occupant’s need; youth requiring more counseling and mental health services can meet with their counselor up to twice a week.
Hanson said the goal is to help the youths develop the necessary skills to return to society and be successful, rather than repeating negative behaviors.
Having a juvenile detention center within the occupants’ community is also important, she said.
Currently, Racine County’s only alternative is the Lincoln Hills School and Copper Lake School juvenile detention facilities in Irma, about four hours away from Racine.
“In my opinion, taking a kid who needs to learn how to be a better community steward, and sending them (hours) away … doesn’t do anybody any good, because they can’t participate,” Hanson said.
Cost of operation
The state awarded Racine County $40 million to construct the facility and will provide an additional $750,000 annually once the facility is operational.
The YDCC provides “a more cost-effective and humane local solution,” according to the county. Sending a young person to a state-run correction institution costs about $1,150 per day. For 15 youth over the course of a year, this would total $6 million.
Racine County has also entered into an agreement with the Village of Caledonia to provide the village with $100,000 annually for 10 years in lieu of taxes. The county said this supports local services and offsets the facility’s tax-exempt status.
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