Juvenile Services: My Child is in Juvenile Detention. What Do I Need to Know?

Yes.

When juveniles are in detention, they are allowed visits on the weekends per our visitation schedule. Parents will be given a copy of the schedule when the juvenile is detained. 

The juveniles are allowed phone calls at specific times to immediate family members or guardians that are on an approved list. This list is approved by the probation officer after meeting with family.

Juveniles are allowed to accept letters from their immediate family.  They are sent to the department and then delivered to each juvenile by detention staff.  Letters are opened in front of staff to make sure there is no contraband, but staff members do not read the mail. 

Psychological evaluations are only court ordered when a juvenile is pending probation or when on court probation. 

A juvenile must be in our system to have a psychological evaluation completed by our department counselors.

Counseling is court ordered for juveniles on court probation or deferred prosecution. These are services that juveniles in our system receive.  

Outside counseling can be obtained by parents at any time at their own expense.  

The R. J. Holmgreen Brazos County Juvenile Justice Center operates a pre-adjudication, secure detention center.

The facility is located at the Juvenile Services headquarters:
1904 W. State Hwy 21
Bryan, TX 77803

The facility is equipped and staffed to meet residents’ basic needs including academic instruction provided by the Bryan Independent School District. 

The Detention Center is a co-ed facility certified by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department to house up to 80 youth who have been arrested by a police agency and charged with criminal offense, and juveniles alleged to have violated their conditions of probation and are awaiting court processing.

Room occupancy includes 68 single rooms, four isolation rooms which are available for youth requiring room confinement due to behavioral or medical concerns, and an eight-bed multiple-operational housing unit.

All youth entering the Juvenile Detention Center will receive a handbook clearly stating expectations. Here are some examples of the information they will find in the handbook:

• The Juvenile Detention Center operates on a level system. It is a behavior modification system that is used to monitor your behavior and to help you understand both the positive and negative consequences for your behavior while you are in the Detention Center.
• Inappropriate behavior will cause a loss of your privileges. You are encouraged to examine your behavior in order to improve your behavior and to take responsibility for your actions. By doing this, you should gain privileges. 
  • LEVEL ONE is the highest level in the Detention Center and gives you the most privileges. 
  • LEVEL FOUR is the lowest level with the least privileges. 
  • All residents will enter the center on LEVEL THREE UNLESS inappropriate behavior at intake can result in entering at LEVEL FOUR.
• There are a total of 27 categories that you will be graded on, so if you have a problem with one thing at the beginning of the day, remember you can bring your daily average up by having great behavior the rest of the day.
• Brazos County Juvenile Services Department has a Zero-Tolerance against:
  • Gang activity of any kind
  • Demeaning comments or actions directed towards an authority figure
  • Disrespect – defined as being rude, impolite, bad-mannered and inconsiderate towards an authority figure
  • Emotional abuse
  • Engaging in, planning of, or encouraging criminal behavior of any kind
  • Exploitation
  • Harassment
  • Intentionally and/or purposefully damaging county property
  • Neglect
  • Physical abuse
  • Physical assaults
  • Refusal to comply with staff directives
  • Sexual abuse
  • Sexual assaults
  • Sexual harassment
  • Threats of harm
  • Threats of violence
  • Verbal assaults
  • Violence

• 5:45 – 6:05 a.m.: Wake Up
• 6:05 – 6:30 a.m.: Hygiene
• 6:30 – 7 a.m.: Breakfast
• 7 – 7:30 a.m.: Basic Chores / Resident Rooms
• 7:30 – 8 a.m.: Shift expectations and Handbook review
• 8 – 9 a.m.: Physical Training
• 9 – 10 a.m.: School
• 10 – 11 a.m.: Showers
• 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Counseling group
• 12 – 12:30 p.m.: Lunch
• 12:30 – 1 p.m.: DEAR (Daily Reading and Reflection) Program
• 1 – 3:30 p.m.: School
• 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.: Open Recreation
• 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.: Free Time / Phone Calls
• 5:30 – 6 p.m.: Dinner
• 6 – 9:15 p.m.: Hygiene / Bedtime

• Breakfast Menu
• Lunch Menu
• Wellness Plan
• Triennial Assessment (May 2025)

In 1995, the Texas legislature established the concept of Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs (JJAEP). This legislation mandated a separate educational setting to ensure safe and productive classrooms through the removal of dangerous and/or disruptive students and to address the issue of expelled youth receiving no educational services during the period of expulsion. Prior to the creation of JJAEPs, disruptive and dangerous students either remained in the classroom or were expelled to the street.

The state had a critical interest in ensuring safe classrooms for teachers and students while providing educational services in an alternative setting for expelled students. The legislation provides for JJAEPs operated by County juvenile boards in counties with populations of more than 125,000. Each juvenile board is required to have a Memorandum of Understanding detailing the operation of the JJAEP with each school district in the county.

Alternative Educational Environment

A JJAEP must focus on English / Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Self-discipline. JJAEPs are required to operate seven hours a day for 180 days a year.

The Brazos County Juvenile Services JJAEP is called “The Academy” and is an alternative educational environment for students under the supervision of the juvenile court who have not been successful in the traditional school setting.

Work At Your Own Pace

At the Brazos County Academy students work at their own pace to progress individually through the modules of each course. Grades are in the form of credits. Course credit is awarded upon the student’s demonstration of 80 percent mastery of the course. Each module is based on performance objectives that specify the skills the student should have mastered upon completion of the module. The curriculum has been designed so that a student could earn 0.5 credits within a six-weeks grading period.

The Brazos County Juvenile Probation Division consists of two primary units: the Court Unit and the Field Unit. Together, these units provide comprehensive services to juveniles involved in the juvenile justice system, with the goal of promoting accountability, rehabilitation, and success in the community.

Court Unit

The Court Unit works with juveniles referred to the system but not currently under supervision in Brazos County. They are often the first point of contact for youth and their families. 

Probation officers assigned to this unit complete Court Investigation Reports that provide the court with detailed background information about the juvenile, including family history, school performance, behavioral concerns, and prior involvement with the justice system. These officers also conduct detention hearings and gather information from parents or guardians, school officials, and other relevant parties to ensure the court has a complete understanding of the juvenile’s circumstances. 

A standardized Risk and Needs Assessment is conducted to evaluate the youth’s likelihood of reoffending and to identify specific needs, such as counseling, educational support, substance abuse treatment, or mental health services. 

Probation services are provided for juveniles ages 10 to 17, and case resolutions can range from a Supervisory Caution for lower-level offenses to placement in a residential facility or other setting outside the community for more serious cases. 

Field Unit

The Field Unit supervises juveniles who have been placed on probation and are residing in the community. This unit is responsible for ongoing monitoring, guidance, and support to ensure juveniles comply with court orders and successfully complete their probation terms. 

The two primary types of supervision are:

• Deferred Prosecution: an informal probation program designed to divert youth from formal court processes.
• Court-Ordered Probation: a formal probation imposed by the court.

Field officers conduct regular home visits, school visits, and office appointments to monitor compliance with probation conditions, such as attending school, obeying curfew, participating in counseling or treatment programs, and avoiding further delinquent behavior. They also work closely with families, school, and community service providers to coordinate services and address barriers to success. 

Using the results of Risk and Needs Assessments, field officers develop individualized case plans tailored to each juvenile’s specific risks, strengths, and needs, with the ultimate goal of reducing recidivism and helping the juvenile become a productive, law-abiding member of the community.