PREA Final Audit Report 2017
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
Hours of operation:
Probation - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Monday-Thursday
9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Detention is open 24/7 as needed.
Information on
Juvenile Probation
When a child (ages 10 - 17) is referred to the department, a
probation officer makes a decision, generally based on the Progressive
Sanctions Model, about what the supervision level should be. There are a two
types of probation, Deferred Probation and Formal Probation. The department
also has the discretion on certain minor offenses to talk with the child and
family about choices and offer the child another chance to succeed in the
community without supervision. This is called Supervisory Cautioning the child.
One type of probation is Deferred Probation or Deferred
Prosecution. Deferred Probation is generally a six month program where the
child's formal probation is postponed. This type of probation is the least
intensive probation available to the department. If the child can successfully
complete the deferred probationary period without getting into more trouble, as
well as completing various other tasks that are agreed upon by the probation
officer and family, the charge will be considered closed out and taken care of.
If the child should be referred again while still on their Deferred Probation,
or not be able to successfully complete other tasks, the charge (original and
supplemental) can be sent to the County Attorney's Office for a petition to be
filed. A petition is when the County Attorney files formal charges on the
child, which must be heard in the County Court or County Court At Law. If the
child is adjudicated for the offense(s) listed on the petition, the child is
placed on the next level of supervision, Formal Probation.
Formal Probation is
when the child and/or family need extra support. All Formal Probations
generally last for at least one year from the date of the Disposition Hearing,
or until the child reached 18 years of age. There is Formal Probation with and
without the Intensive Supervision Program (ISP).
Formal Probation without ISP is the lowest level of
supervision provided to those who are adjudicated for an offense and placed on
Formal Probation. As stated before, the time frame for Formal Probation without
ISP is generally one year. During that time frame, the child will be monitored
by a probation officer at the child's home, school, and work to ensure
compliance with the Court's Orders of Probation. The child will be required to
complete community service, and may also be required to pay restitution. The
child's parents will be responsible for ensuring that their child attends all
ordered activities as well as to provide support to the child to help achieve
successful completion of the probationary period. A child may also be removed
from their home and placed at a residential treatment facility for a period of
30 days up to one year.
Formal Probation with ISP is the highest level of supervision
provided to those who are adjudicated for an offense and placed on Formal
Probation. Children have to have a serious single offenses, multiple
adjudications, serious violations of their probation, or returning from
placement to qualify for ISP. An ISP officer will be assigned to those who
qualify for this type of supervision. An ISP officer is a probation officer who
will check on the child at various times during the day and night to monitor
compliance.
For more information, visit the Texas Juvenile Justice
Department's Website.
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Information regarding
Juvenile Detention
The Ray West Juvenile Justice Center (RWJJC) is a 14 bed
facility. Each child who is brought in has their own room complete with a bed,
sheets, blanket, toilet, and sink. The Juvenile Detention Facility is a secure
facility, which means that all of the doors lock. Juveniles held in the RWJJC
are monitored visually in compliance with the requirements of the Texas
Juvenile Justice Department. If your child is referred, everything that they
need will be provided for them. You do not need to bring anything, except
medication that is prescribed, unless there is a special request by the
facility for your child.
If your child is
placed in Detention, a Detention Hearing must be held no later than the second
working day after the child is brought in. The hearing is presided over by an
authorized Juvenile Judge (generally the County Court Judge in Brown or Mills
County). If a your child is ordered detained, your child may be held in a
longer term facility for 10 working days after the initial detention hearing
before another Detention Hearing must be held. Your child will be provided an
attorney for all hearings if you cannot afford to hire one.
Detention Officers are trained to assist your child with
problems that they may experience. If your child has mental or emotional issues
that need to be addressed, Center for Life Resources / MHMR for the Brown
County will be notified to assess your child.
Your child will be provided with the opportunity to eat 3
meals per day plus a snack in the evening. Your child may refuse to eat, but
the opportunity for them to eat will always be provided. Meal times are:
Breakfast (Around 7:00 a.m.), Lunch (Around 12:00 p.m.), Supper (Around 6:00
p.m.), and their snack is provided around 8:00 p.m.
Visitation is every day from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., and 7:00 p.m. to
8:00 p.m. and is for 15 minutes. In order to visit your child, you must
be on the approved visitation list provided by the child's Juvenile
Probation Officer, and present a valid picture ID prior to each and
every visitation. Special visitation times may be set up at the
discretion of the Detention Supervisor if there are extremely unique
circumstances that hinder a parent from visiting their child during the
posted hours. Special visitation times are not guaranteed and parents
should make every effort to visit during normal hours.
Juveniles are allowed to make phone calls once each day for
5 minutes in duration. Calls are made in the evening after 8:00 p.m. Calls are
only allowed to those who are on the child's visitation list with approved
numbers. Your child's phone call will be automatically disconnected if the
phone company detects usage of 3-way calling.
Your child has the option of not calling you if there are others on the visitation
list, or if they choose not to make a phone call. If you do not answer the phone at the time
your child places the call, another opportunity may be provided later in the evening. This is contingent on how many juveniles we
have in the facility and the day’s planned activities.