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The Illinois Department of Juvenile
Justice marked a milestone Thursday with the grand opening of the
Monarch Youth Center in Lincoln, the first juvenile facility of its
kind in central Illinois. Built to serve up to 30 youth from across
the region, the center sits on the grounds of the former Lincoln
Developmental Center, a property that once employed hundreds but
stood vacant for more than two decades. For many in attendance, the
opening represented more than a ribbon cutting. State officials
described the project as both a symbol of reform and a practical
investment in Lincoln’s future, tying together themes of justice,
healing, economic growth, and community renewal.
The Monarch Youth Center is a
product of Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s “21st
Century Transformation Plan,” announced in 2020 as a blueprint to
move Illinois away from prison-like youth facilities and toward
smaller, regional centers designed with trauma-informed care. The
plan called for investments in behavioral health, family engagement,
and community partnerships, with the goal of reshaping the juvenile
justice system into one focused on rehabilitation. Monarch is the
third facility developed under the initiative, and for Lincoln, it
represents a chance to bring new jobs while filling long-standing
gaps in juvenile justice. The choice of the Monarch name underscored
that theme: a butterfly that transforms through stages of growth,
chosen as a metaphor for young people capable of change.
Planning for Monarch began long before the ribbon cutting. In
February 2021, DJJ officials presented their proposal to the Lincoln
City Council. Then-Director Heidi Mueller explained the need to
serve young people closer to home, noting that many central Illinois
youth were being housed hours away from their families, often in
facilities near Chicago. She described the proposal as centering on
four cottages at the old Lincoln Developmental Center campus,
designed to house 30 youth supported by about 50 staff working in
three shifts. She emphasized that the new facility would be
residential rather than carceral, pointing to cottages modeled after
Chicago-area programs. The focus, she said, was to support youth
through therapy, academics, and community service rather than
punishment.
By summer 2023, construction began under the Illinois Capital
Development Board, which oversaw the renovation of the existing
cottages and the construction of a new multipurpose building. “The
Monarch Youth Center’s design prioritizes healing and support… we
were able to reclaim a long-vacant site to create a facility where
youth can stay connected to their communities, surrounded by
trauma-informed environments,” said TJ Edwards, the board’s
executive director. The project combined renovation and innovation,
reclaiming parts of the old LDC while introducing modern classrooms,
therapy wings, and recreational spaces.
Education and career preparation
are woven into the design. The campus includes two career and
technical education classrooms, a science classroom, and a music
room. “Our kids love music stuff,” said DJJ project manager Paton
during a tour, gesturing toward the space filled with instruments. A
separate culinary area provides hands-on training in cooking, with
plans for community instructors to expand opportunities. “We’re
gonna look at culinary programming. We also will connect with
community partners. Oftentimes at our other facilities we have
partnerships in the community where people come in and teach
trades,” said DJJ Chief of Communication Dominique Newman,
explaining the vision of blending education with practical skills
that can lead to employment.
The rock wall inside the Monarch gymnasium
Recreation was another priority.
The new gym includes a climbing wall, while outdoor spaces feature
garden boxes for youth to grow their own food. A basketball court,
open green space, and landscaped areas encourage exercise and calm.
Fencing, though necessary, was designed with “no-climb” features
that look less like prison fencing and more like campus security,
reducing the institutional feel. Family connection is also
emphasized. The facility includes indoor and outdoor visitation
rooms, with policies that allow each youth up to 21 approved
visitors, depending on therapeutic needs. A new video call system
makes it easier for families to stay in touch even when distance or
work schedules keep them from visiting in person.
The front row on both sides of the aisle in the
gymnasium was filled with Monarch administrative staff. In the back
of the room was a large group of support staff.
Ensuring that the right staff were
in place was a major part of the preparation. Just days before the
grand opening, DJJ graduated its first class of juvenile justice
specialists trained for the new facility. The hiring process is
rigorous, requiring background checks and specific credentials to
ensure the wellbeing of the children. “We have a lot of safeguards
in place… not just anybody can walk in the door.” Newman said,
stressing the importance of staff who understand trauma-informed
practices and can work with vulnerable youth.
Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice Acting
Director Rob Vickery opened the ceremony and served as the emcee
throughout the event.
At the grand opening, DJJ officials
emphasized that the facility represents more than brick and
mortar—it is a new philosophy in action. Acting Director Rob Vickery
told the crowd that the building is designed for growth and healing.
“You are worth investing in. You are valuable,” he said, addressing
the future youth who would live there. He explained the symbolism of
the monarch butterfly: “The monarch butterfly undergoes a
transformation… a metaphor for growth and self-realization. It’s
what we want for all of our kids.”
Lieutenant Governor Juliana
Stratton echoed the sentiment in a press release. “The opening of
Monarch Youth Center is an exciting, concrete step toward improving
the quality of life for central Illinois’ most vulnerable youth,”
she said. “Monarch Youth Center will do just that, by giving youth
who will reenter society a toolbox full of what they need to
thrive.” The message was reinforced by local and state leaders
alike. Senator Sally Turner praised the project’s dual impact,
saying, “This facility will bring good jobs and economic growth to
our region, while also providing a structured environment that helps
young people get back on track.”
From the left, Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch,
Senator Sally Turner, and IDJJ Chief of Staff Marna Satlak were
among the guest speakers at the opening day celebration.
Mayor Tracy Welch stated on stage,
“Today, we celebrate more than the completion of the building. We
celebrate the start of new opportunities, stronger partnerships, and
the promise of brighter futures,”
Justice Equity Opportunity Initiative Director
Yaacov Delaney
Other speakers at the ceremony
highlighted the center’s symbolic meaning. Tim Patrick of the
Capital Development Board spoke about how natural light, biophilic
design, and inclusive outdoor equipment were chosen to encourage
teamwork and calm. Yaacov Delaney, representing Lt. Gov. Stratton’s
Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative, said the center
embodies a shift in philosophy for Illinois. “Every young person
deserves a second chance and the opportunity to reach their full
potential,” he said. “When we invest in evidence-based
rehabilitation over punishment, when we progress mental health
services over incarceration, we’re not just changing communities of
lives, we’re strengthening our communities.”
DCFS Director and former DJJ Director Heidi
Mueller
For Heidi Mueller, who had led DJJ
when the project was conceived, the opening felt like a personal
milestone. She recalled presenting the idea to Lincoln’s City
Council in 2021, when residents raised questions about traffic,
jobs, and safety. Years later, seeing the finished facility was, in
her words, a “homecoming.” “This investment means something…. This
investment is about people,” she said, comparing the project’s
growth to the monarch butterfly’s migration. “Like the monarch
traveling 2,000 miles, the growth and the healing and the
transformative change that we are able to achieve… will pollinate
for generations to come.”
DJJ Chief of Staff Marna Satlak
DJJ Chief of Staff Marna Satlak
addressed the employees directly, reminding them that the center’s
success would depend on their daily work. “You will be the key to
the changes we are able to make in the way we serve youth,” she
said. Vickery closed the ceremony by thanking DJJ’s leadership team
and inviting guests to refreshments of fruit, cookies, and water
before taking self-guided tours of the new facility. Staff stood
ready in each wing to explain design choices. “Meander around the
facilities, stick your head in rooms, ask questions of the staff.
They can explain why things are the way they are,” Vickery
encouraged.
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Exterior of the main building at the new Monarch Youth Center - Photo by Nila
Smith
Visitors found spaces that looked more like a school campus than
a correctional facility. Classrooms were painted in bright
colors, filled with equipment for science and music. In the
cottages, red lights glowed softly in each bedroom, while one
private room with its own bathroom was set aside as a reward for
positive behavior. Therapy and wellness areas were integrated
throughout, from group counseling rooms to a mental health and
addiction room designed for calmness and rehabilitation.
Monarch Youth Center Superintendent Tyrie
Fluker
Community involvement is expected
to play a strong role. Superintendent Tyrie Fluker told guests that
volunteers will be essential. “We welcome local non-profit and
faith-based organizations who wish to partner with us in our work to
rehabilitate youth. Volunteers are essential to the work we do,” he
said. In a press release, DJJ emphasized that Monarch brings more
than 90 jobs to Lincoln, ranging from administrators and nurses to
educators, specialists, dietary staff, and juvenile justice
officers. Paton thanked local officials for their cooperation,
adding, “From Mayor Welch, to the fire and police chiefs, to the
Lincoln Park District, IDJJ is incredibly grateful for the ongoing
help and cooperation from local officials.”
At the Thursday morning opening day ceremony
and reception, the audience was filled with local and state
officials and dignitaries including Lincoln Alderperson Kevin
Bateman, Dennis Clemons, Robin McClallen, Lincoln Police Chief Joe
Meister and Lincoln Fire Chief Ty Johnson.
The economic and social impact on
Lincoln was clear. For a city that lost more than 500 jobs when the
Lincoln Developmental Center closed in 2002, Monarch represents a
partial revival of that campus. Where empty buildings once stood as
reminders of loss, the new center now offers employment, education,
and hope. Officials said they remain open to working with the city
on future uses for the rest of the campus, continuing the effort to
reclaim and repurpose the property.
For the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, the opening of
Monarch stands as evidence that its transformation plan is taking
shape. For the city of Lincoln, it brings economic revival,
community partnership, and a sense of pride in reclaiming
long-abandoned land. And for the youth who will soon walk through
its doors, the center is designed to be a place of safety, learning,
and transformation. As Heidi Mueller said, “This investment is about
people.” More than bricks and mortar, the Monarch Youth Center
represents a commitment to giving young people a chance to change
their lives and a promise that Lincoln, too, can continue to grow
and renew itself.
Click the name to
watch the speech:
Illinois Department of
Juvenile Justice Acting Director Rob Vickery
Monarch Youth Center Superintendent Tyrie Fluker
Illinois Senator for District
44 Sally Turner
Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch
Construction Administrator
for the Capital Development Board Tim Patrick
Justice Equity Opportunity
Initiative Director Yaacov Delaney
Illinois Department of
Children & Family Services Director Heidi Mueller
IDJJ Chief of Staff Marna
Satlak
Facility Photos
[Sophia Larimore w/Photos by Sophia Larimore, Photos and Video by
Nila Smith]
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