The Juvenile Detention Division maintains the County juvenile detention facility (Juvenile Hall). The Division also provides the Community Release and Juvenile Electronic Monitoring programs to divert appropriate juvenile offenders from secure custody.
Juvenile Hall
The Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall provides temporary residential housing for youth awaiting adjudication or disposition from the Juvenile Courts. The facility is currently undergoing a major renovation that will upgrade the remaining living units that were not part of the previous (1998) construction project. Services are provided to youth to assist with their social reintegration back into the community and address their social, physical, behavioral, psychological, and emotional needs.
Juvenile Hall Programs
Juvenile hall programs provide a wide variety of educational and treatment services based upon client risk and needs assessment. Programs include:
- Substance abuse treatment and education
- Mental health treatment and counseling
- Planned parenthood
- Religious services and counseling
- Gang intervention
- Victim awareness
- Anger management
- Girl Scouts
- Career planning
- Court Work Program
- Foster Grandparent Program
- Support network for battered women
- Outreach programs
- Cultural diversity programs
- Literacy programs
Multi Agency Assessment
Provides educational, substance abuse, and mental health assessment, referral services, case and transition plans, for youth held in juvenile hall for over 72 hours. Community based organizations provide key programming elements.
Screening Services
Provided by probation officer that receives youth from law enforcement and determines whether the youth will be admitted to juvenile hall. Proactively screens youth for release to parent or responsible adult in lieu of incarceration. Youth may be referred to community release programs when appropriate.
Juvenile Hall Commitment Services
Provided by specialized unit in juvenile hall where offenders are detained for a specific period of time by order of the Court. Youth are afforded full educational, medical, mental health, and treatment services.
Community Release Program
An alternative to detention for youth that would otherwise be held in juvenile hall both before and after Court disposition. Utilizes direct supervision by probation group counselors.
Electronic Monitoring Program
An alternative to detention for youth that would otherwise be held in juvenile hall both before and after Court disposition. Utilizes electronic monitoring devices and probation group counselor supervision.
Juvenile Hall Work Program
A program for in-custody youth that work on the Juvenile Hall campus to perform general maintenance and community service work. Also open to out-of-custody youth on weekends as an alternative to detention.