Juvenile Detention is a secure facility where a child who is subject to a delinquency complaint is held. There are two Juvenile Detention Centers in Connecticut – one in Bridgeport and the other in Hartford.
When a child is arrested, the police can place them in detention if they are charged with a serious juvenile offense.
A child can also be sent to detention by a judge during the initial court appearance (arraignment) or after another specific court hearing.
For a judge to order a child to detention the judge must find “probable cause” that the child is responsible for the alleged delinquent acts.
Then, the judge must determine whether at least one of the following grounds for detention exists:
- The child will run away;
- The child will commit or attempt to commit other offenses injurious to the child or the community;
- Allowing the child to continue to live in their home poses a risk to the child or the community because of the dangerous act(s) the child allegedly committed;
- The need to hold the child for another court;
- The need to hold the child to make sure the child appears for this case; or
- The child has violated previous orders suspending placement in detention.
A judge must review a child’s stay in detention at least every fifteen days. At the hearing, the judge will listen to arguments from the Prosecutor and the child’s attorney on the continued need for the child to be detained. A favorable report from detention staff and reasonable assurances from the child go a long way.
If a child is discharged from detention, they are typically released to a parent or guardian under certain court imposed requirements. For example, a child may be on house arrest, have to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet or submit to drug testing as conditions of release.