DAVENPORT, Iowa — The Iowa-Nebraska NAACP and local Davenport chapter of the NAACP are calling for an audit of the juvenile justice system in Scott County. It comes as the Scott County Board of Supervisors prepares to vote on putting American Rescue Plan funding towards a brand new, larger, juvenile detention facility in the county.
The county would be putting $10 million dollars into the new facility. The NAACP wants to see that money instead go to community outreach programs. The expansion does qualify for the specific use of ARPA funding, due to the fact that the increased space would make it safer for social distancing.
The new facility would increase current bed capacity from 16 up to 40 with the potential space for 60. The NAACP says they don’t completely oppose a new facility. In fact, updates are welcome. However, the organization only wants to see 24 beds max allowed in the facility, which brings it up to par with detention centers around the country.
The Iowa-Nebraska NAACP president, Betty Andrews says the disproportionate incarceration of Black youth in Iowa is a problem the new detention center will only further.
“This system is broken. It's not tilted, it's not leaning, it's broken,” says Andrews.
She calls the center a clear target of minority youth in the country. According to a report from the Sentencing Project, an organization dedicated to promoting racially ethical detention, Black youth in Iowa are more than nine times as likely as their white peers to be incarcerated.
“It’s time out for Iowa not taking a serious examination of its practices and outcomes for Brown and Black youth,” says Andrews.
The president of the Davenport NAACP chapter, Michael Guster also calling for the County Board to reexamine their use of the ARPA funding.
“A modernized facility should not be an excuse for increasing the number of youth in the facility that it will hold,” says Guster.
Guster further saying those funds should be used for community outreach and prevention.
“They should take this $10 million that they're talking about now to build capacity in existing neighborhoods,” says Guster, “Neighborhood based programs, with history and credibility, working with the underserved Black and Hispanic families.”
The NAACP is asking the Iowa Department of Human Rights Department to examine the racial disparities within the Scott County juvenile justice system by looking specifically at a review of decision points, judicial practices, deferment programs, police referrals, racial disparities, and the use of waivers to adult court.
Local pastor Reverend Rick Hendricks also speaking at the press conference held by the NAACP, addressing the potential increase in capacity.
“It's certainly not helping our children. It is not helping our overwhelmed police officers. It is not helping our community financially or decreasing crime. It is not time to build a new monstrosity for our children,” says Hendricks.
The Scott County Board of Supervisors has not yet put a final vote of approval onto an agenda.