IYC-St. Charles is Northern Illinois’ medium-security facility for boys. St. Charles also serves as the northern Reception and Classification facility for Illinois.
Read JHA's 2012 report on St. Charles here. (PDF)
Vital Statistics:
Population: 148
Average Age: 17.26
Average Annual cost per youth: $101,247
Population by Race: 45 White (16.4%), 185 Black (67.5%), 41 Hispanic (15%), 3 Native American (1.1%)
Committing Offenses: 1 Murder, 9 Class X felonies, 29 Class 1 felonies, 38 Class 2 felonies, 35 Class 3 felonies, 21 Class 4 felonies, 15 Misdemeanors. felonies, 16 Misdemeanors.
Source: IDJJ (April 2012)
Key Observations:
- Following JHA’s criticism and recommendations from its 2011 monitoring reports, St. Charles now has completed the installation of safety beds in all cells where youth reside.
- While St. Charles reports that it is focused on individualized, verbal interventions as a means to deescalate youth prior to use of confinement or time-out rooms, administration lacked ready access to data that tracked facility’s operations, including important information on its use of confinement.
- To absorb youth from facilities scheduled for closure and complete needed repair and renovations, St. Charles received $5 million from the state of Illinois in the spring of 2012.
- Staffing needs remain an area of concern at St. Charles, particularly in the infirmary and school.
- JHA notes and commends implementation of innovative educational programs.
Read JHA's 2012 report on St. Charles here.
Read JHA's 2011 report here.
The John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s initiative, Models for Change, has funded the John Howard Association of Illinois (JHA) to monitor IDJJ’s facilities.
