Youth detention center

A youth detention center, also known as Juvenile hall, is a prison for people under the age of 18. An offender residing in a center is colloquially referred to as a Juvie, and the center is often referred to colloquially by the same name by the general public.

Its intended purpose is to protect the public from the delinquent acts of minors by granting those minors secure detention and temporary care with intent, in most cases, to make those who serve time functioning adults in society.

While Juvenile Hall is technically a prison, it is different from a penal institution, however, because education is usually provided to compensate for the offender's removal from a public school, and the center is designed to be like an offender's home as much as possible.

Additionally, not all of the residents are necessarily juvenile delinquents. Some children or incompetents may be held in juvenile halls temporarily upon the deaths of their parents or guardians, upon the discovery of criminal neglect of their parents or guardians, or upon the discovery of abuse by their parents or guardians. This is not as a method of punishment for the child or ward, but rather because it contains the superior facilities for their care where none others exist. Such children and wards are usually separated from juvenile delinquents and found more permanent care as soon as possible.

See also