El Paso County TX Juvenile Detention Center

You can support your loved ones at El Paso Co Juvenile Detention on InmateAid, if you have any immediate questions contact the facility directly at 915-849-2500.

The El Paso County TX Juvenile Detention Center is a medium to low-security detention center located at 6400 Delta Dr El Paso, TX that is operated locally by the Juvenile Justice Department and holds youths awaiting the determination of punishment for the crimes which they are accused. Most of the adolescents are here for less than two years.

In Texas the ages of juvenile justice jurisdiction are 10 through 16. The handling of juveniles is strictly regulated by state law, but juvenile probation is locally administered at the county level. More than 130,000 Texas children picked up by law enforcement officers this year will enter the juvenile justice system. For minor violations, the police may simply warn the child and parents. However, when further action is needed to protect the public or the child, or to prevent future offenses, the case is forwarded to local juvenile probation officials.

All juveniles with alleged delinquent offenses that are crimes punishable by jail for adults are fingerprinted and entered into a statewide central repository. Their criminal history record may then be accessed by law enforcement and juvenile justice agencies throughout Texas.

Intake - Front Door to the System - Children arrive at the juvenile probation intake unit around the clock. They may be sick, intoxicated, injured, depressed or violent. Critical decisions must be made on the spot. Intake officers are skilled in crisis intervention, information gathering and assessment. They resolve some cases through counseling and refer others to more appropriate social agencies. If charges are to be filed in court, intake makes the initial decision about where the child will stay pending judicial proceedings. Many are safely released to parents or guardians but others must be held in secure detention or in a shelter.

In Detention - Juvenile detention centers are short-term, secure facilities. Operated by either local juvenile probation departments or private companies, they are designed to protect the community and the child and to assure the child’s appearance in court.

At intervals set by law, children in detention have detention hearings where a judge must be shown there is good cause to hold them. Children are not detained without due process of law. The more than 55 detention centers in Texas offer top quality custodial care, crisis intervention, counseling, education and many other services.

Waiting for Court - When charges are filed against a child, a probation officer initiates a court investigation. After making a detailed assessment of the child’s behavior, home, school and social relationships, the officer writes a social history report to assist the judge in deciding on a plan for the child’s future.

Going to Court - In the court proceeding, called an adjudication hearing, the child, family and the child’s attorney, appear before a judge or jury that will decide if the child committed a delinquent act or conduct indicating a need for supervision. If the child is adjudicated for the offense, the judge orders a "disposition" -- a plan to protect the public and to redirect the child toward a law-abiding future. Dispositions in most counties are based on "progressive sanctions" guidelines aiming to provide appropriate consequences and outcomes for juvenile offenders. The guidelines provide a continuum of progressive steps designed to balance public protection, offender accountability and rehabilitation.