Muscatine supervisors approve one‑year one‑bed juvenile detention agreement with Scott County

The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors on July 28 approved joining an agreement with Scott County to reserve one guaranteed juvenile detention bed for a one‑year period.

County Attorney Jim Merry told the board Muscatine does not currently have a standing guaranteed placement at any juvenile detention facility and that Scott County has expanded its facility and is seeking partner counties to secure bed space. “At the end of the day, what it boils down to is a financial decision for circumstances that we don't yet know what's going to happen,” Merry said, noting both per‑day detention costs and additional ancillary expenses such as medical care and officer transport.

The board voted in favor of approving the county’s participation in the Scott County arrangement by voice vote. The contract would guarantee one bed for the contract year; Merry said Scott County will “do their best” to accommodate additional juveniles from Muscatine but cannot guarantee space for more than the contracted bed.

Merry reviewed the county’s recent experience placing juveniles out of county, saying placements and costs have varied widely. He told supervisors the county used a mix of facilities, including locations in Cedar Rapids and Mount Pleasant, and that last year juvenile placement costs reached about $148,000. He also said Muscatine’s court budget funds juvenile detention placements and that the court budget is adjusted as actual need becomes clear.

Supervisors discussed the tradeoffs of paying to reserve a bed year‑round — likened by one supervisor to buying insurance — versus continuing the current ad hoc practice of calling facilities when a placement is needed. Board members said regional partnerships among neighboring counties may be needed to manage capacity and costs more predictably.

The board’s motion to approve joining the Scott County agreement passed on a voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes. The agreement covers only the guaranteed bed; the county will continue to follow existing practice of locating alternate placements if more than one juvenile requires detention and Scott County cannot accommodate them.