Brown County searching for temporary homes for detained juveniles

ABERDEEN, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The Brown County State’s Attorney’s office is asking residents to open up their homes to youth in the court system.

The Court Resource Home program is a pilot program taking place in Brown, Codington and Davison County that asks residents to provide a temporary home to low-risk juvenile offenders.

”We wouldn’t be placing serious, criminal offenders. It’s kids who shouldn’t be locked up, but can’t go home. We just need a middle ground for them,” said Brown County Diversion Coordinator Kelsi Vinger.

Those participating in the program would receive a stipend for both being on-call and hosting a juvenile. The application process would require a home study evaluation and a license process that is expected to take up to four months.

”The Court Resource Homes families would go through the full license or process to become licensed foster parents, but it would be solely through this program,” said Vinger.

The duration of the juvenile’s stay in the home would not exceed seven days.

The program’s goal is to keep low-risk juvenile offenders out of unnecessary detention.

”They’re taking up beds that they don’t need to be, and being unnecessarily detained. Research shows that when we are locking up kids that don’t need to be locked up, that’s damaging their mental health, their education and is really detrimental to them,” said Vinger.

The program will also save room in the Brown County Juvenile Detention Center, which only has 10 beds, for high-risk offenders.

“When we’re mixing low-risk offenders with our higher-risk offenders, that puts our low-risk offenders at risk of learning worse behaviors,” said Vinger.

An informational forum about the Court Resource Homes program will be held at the Aberdeen YMCA at 5:30 p.m. on August 9th, where sign-up sheets will be provided. Those who can’t make the forum can learn more by contacting Vinger at (605) 626-7130.

Copyright 2022 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.