Good decision on county youth home

As the former DuPage County Board chairman and the past chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority, I applaud Chairman Dan Cronin’s effort to close the DuPage juvenile detention facility and transfer juvenile offenders to Kane County.

I served as chairman when the county board began the process of expanding the existing facility. At the time, voters were troubled with juvenile crime, and the board decided to build a larger facility that housed 100 offenders. Even though the facility was costly, the board overwhelmingly supported its construction to provide the services necessary for the citizens of DuPage.

Since that time not only has the economy declined, so too has the number of youthful offenders requiring the county’s facility. On most days, the population is about one-fourth of the capacity and juveniles stay an average of two to three days. DuPage County can no longer afford the daily cost of more than $400 per day per offender.

This is simply too costly during a time of economic malaise and voter outrage about excessive government spending. Chairman Cronin and members of the county board should be applauded for agreeing to a less costly alternative by housing juvenile offenders in the Kane County facility. This can only be a win-win for the citizens of DuPage County.

Leadership often requires making difficult decisions and Chairman Cronin has chosen a path to provide that leadership.

Gayle M. Franzen

Wheaton