Staff members and residents were injured at the Mary Davis Juvenile Detention Home in Galesburg in what the Knox County Sheriff’s Office describes as a “riot” inside the facility.
The Mary Davis Detention Home, 1319 E. Fifth St., is one of 16 county juvenile detention centers in Illinois. It serves Knox and surrounding counties.
The Sheriff’s Office responded to a fight in progress just after 8 p.m. Wednesday, with dispatch advising at least ten juveniles were battering staff, according to a release from the Sheriff’s Office.
The Galesburg Hospital Ambulance, Galesburg Police Department, and Knoxville Police Department also responded.
In an update Thursday morning, the Sheriff’s Office said while the incident was initially described as a fight, it “quickly morphed into a riot in multiple areas of the facility.”
There was also damage to the inside of the facility.
Eight staff members were injured, and some required hospital treatment. Two juveniles were treated at the scene. Charges are pending, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The Mary Davis Detention Home is a 38-bed facility, but is typically less than half occupied.
Last month, the average population was 14 people, with the majority placed in juvenile detention from counties other than Knox, according to the facility’s latest report to the Knox County board.
The Mary Davis Detention Home was non-compliant with Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice standards in 2022 and 2023, but has been working to make improvements.
Areas of non-compliance have included education, staffing, discipline, and admissions procedures.
IDJJ’s last inspection of the facility was in February, with that inspection report still pending.
In addition, the home was not compliant in 2023 with the Illinois State Board of Education’s school nutrition program.
