Youth detention center
[4] Secure detention means that juveniles are held for usually short periods of time in facilities in order to await current trial hearings and further placement decisions.
Rather, juveniles held in secure custody usually receive care consistent with the doctrine of parens patriae, i.e., the state as parent.
The state or local jurisdiction is usually responsible for providing education, recreation, health, assessment, counseling and other intervention services with the intent of maintaining a youth's well-being during his or her stay in custody.
Status offenders, i.e., juveniles charged with running away from home, alcohol possession, and other offenses that are not crimes if committed by adults, may only be held for 24 hours or less,[6] while initial case investigation is completed, and other alternatives are arranged.
[7] The reason for the wide variety in placement options of juveniles is that there does not currently exist a uniform definition of residential treatment programs.
[8] Highly effective schools within juvenile facilities provide high school curriculum, opportunities for General Equivalency Diploma (GED) preparation, special education services, certified teachers, small student to teacher ratio, connection with families, and vocational training opportunities.
Many institutions do not provide basic education services, and in others, children only receive a fraction of the state-mandated instructional time, and classes are not based on a coherent curriculum.
There is a long-standing connection found in research between youth who commit crimes and mental health concerns.
[12] It is the responsibility of case management to decide what type of intervention strategy works best for each youth in his or her mental health treatment plan.
[19] Even with key court decisions and acts, it has been found that a large number of juveniles held at both detention centers and confinement facilities are not being served the special education services they should be provided by law.
[20] It has been found that many juvenile detention institutions have struggling special education programs, especially for those centers that detain youth for short periods of time.
Two major concerns in regard to juvenile detention centers and long-term confinement facilities have been raised: overcrowding and ineffectiveness.
[25] The high juvenile recidivism rate has caused many critics to question the overall efficacy of secure detention centers and confinement facilities.
[25] Some Youth Detention Centers have earned a street term, known as "Gladiator Schools" by the wards who were incarcerated there.
An oral history of stories from inside the California Youth Authority is documented by David Reeve (2017-2024).
"Gladiator School: Stories from Inside YTS (An oral history from those who were incarcerated in the California Youth Authority)".
[32] In 2005, Governor Jodi Rell attempted to close the facility, but it was instead reformed in 2008 by The Department of Children & Families.
[36] YSC is operated by DYRS as the District of Columbia's secure juvenile detention center, which was opened in 2004.
[37] It is an 88-bed facility for male and female detained (not committed) youth who have been accused of delinquent acts and are awaiting their court hearings.
[37] The facility also provides programs and services to meet the essential mental health, emotional, physical, and social needs of the youth.
New Beginnings replaced the Oak Hill Youth Center,[40] which was located .5 miles (0.80 km) away[41] in unincorporated Anne Arundel County.
[42] The main goal of New Beginnings is to provide residents with 24-hour supervision as well as programs and services that allow for successful transitions back into the DC community.
[39] DYRS created a partnership with the See Forever Foundation to provide the educational services of Maya Angelou Academy for the residents.
It was part of the Kids for cash scandal in which judges were given kickbacks in exchange for imposing harsh sentences on youth offenders so that the detention centers would get business.
