DAVENPORT, Iowa – Davenport Police say one boy involved in the Mary Davis escape is being held in the Scott County Juvenile Detention Center. But if the other 4 juveniles are found the Davenport center may not have the room to hold them.
The Scott County Detention Center is already holding 13 juveniles. But Jeremy Kaiser, the center’s director, says the facility can hold up to 16. If the county surpasses that number, they have to send juveniles somewhere else which costs money.
When the Davenport Center is full juveniles can be sent up to three hours away, which costs the county $125 to $200 a day not including transportation costs. In 2018 Scott County spent $400,000 sending kids to other facilities.
“We are going to send out residents who probably have the furthest out court date,” says Kaiser. “So probably those who are waiting on a date maybe a month from now will be the first to go just so we aren’t transporting back and forth.”
Kaiser says there are simply too few beds in the Davenport facility. Currently 16 juveniles can be housed in Scott County, but Kaiser says they typically need to handle about 21 kids each day.
A study done on Scott County Detention Center says it will need 64 beds by 2039 based on current numbers. There is currently no timeline or final plans for expansion.