When most people think of detention and juveniles, they think about going to the principal’s office and having to stay after school.  That is not what detention means in juvenile court; there detention means going to the state or county run detention center and staying there until the judge releases the defendant or until the defendant has served the number of days the judge ordered.  The detention center is a jail for juveniles.

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Transportation to and from the detention center is usually handled by the sheriff’s department of the county where the juvenile has charges.  A sheriff’s deputy can take the juvenile at the time of detainment (when the juvenile is arrested). Deputies also bring the juveniles to court and take them back to the detention center after court.  There are times when the judge will request that the parent take the juvenile to the detention center. That is usually done when a juvenile does not leave from court to go to the detention center but is asked to report at a later time.  Parents are required to pick up the juvenile from the detention center if his detention time ends before his next court date.

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Visiting the detention center is possible if you call ahead.  Detention centers have hours of visitation for the juveniles and juveniles can be visited by families or their attorneys.  Visitors must call ahead to check the schedule and know the rules of the detention center before arriving.  There may be special circumstances where juveniles are not allowed visitors, so it is always best to call before making the trip.

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Parents can find out where their child is located by asking the DJJ worker at the court appearance.  Many counties do not have their own detention center for juveniles and must send them to another county to be detained.  There are times when a juvenile will be moved out of the detention center and into a less restrictive placement such as a foster home or group home.  If that is the case, a parent can call the Department of Juvenile Justice and request information about where the juvenile is staying.  Click on the Find Your County button below to find out more information about the detention center used in your county.