Ottawa County MI Juvenile Detention

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The Ottawa County MI Juvenile Detention is a medium to low-security detention center located at 12110 Fillmore St West Olive, MI 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.

Juvenile Detention values its relationships with detainees and their families, as well as with Judiciary, service staff and internal and external professionals. Smooth coordination of services for detainees is important and requires good communication and cooperation between detention personnel, court staff and community partners. The use of volunteers is paramount in helping youth develop positive relationships with adults and provide productive linkages within the community. Detention staff believes respect and integrity for all parties is necessary in creating a positive working environment.

Detention Center History

Juvenile Detention values its relationships with detainees and their families, as well as with Judiciary, service staff and internal and external professionals. Smooth coordination of services for detainees is important and requires good communication and cooperation between detention personnel, court staff and community partners. The use of volunteers is paramount in helping youth develop positive relationships with adults and provide productive linkages within the community. Detention staff believes respect and integrity for all parties is necessary in creating a positive working environment.

The 20th Judicial Circuit Court Juvenile Detention Center provides secure detention for 40 male and female pre and post adjudicated residents (9-17 years of age). The single story facility occupies a building that includes the Probate Court, Juvenile Court, Clerks Office training facilities and Ottawa County Jail.

The Detention Center, located on a 600-plus acre county campus, is comprised of 5 individual 8 bed pods, each having its own living area for meals, study, television, and pod programming. In addition, there is a day room for recreational activities and a gymnasium for large muscle activities. All sleeping rooms have natural lighting, and the entire facility is air conditioned. A backup diesel generator provides electricity during power outages. Water is provided through the Grand Rapids Water Department. Water is tested monthly by the county health department. Sewage is handled by a sewage disposal plant managed by the county. A perimeter 15 foot chain link fenced-in area provides open air recreation for all residents. On the campus property, which borders a heavily-wooded county park, is a comprehensive initiatives course consisting of several low and high elements. This course is incorporated into the programming of the Court's treatment program. All pods can be viewed, and all doors within detention controlled from a central control center. In addition, the detention center houses administrative offices, 4 classrooms, intake area, medical office, locked medication room and visitor lobby. The facility is accessed from the court or directly from the outside of the building.

Resident Services

The Jail and Detention Center are sight and sound separated, but share several services. The county contracts with a private vendor to provide food service for adult inmates and juvenile residents. Residents receive breakfast, lunch, dinner and an evening snack. The kitchen is staffed in part by jail inmates. Juveniles do not take part in any meal preparation or service. Detention Center clothing and linens are laundered by jail inmates as well. Juveniles' personal clothing is laundered by Detention staff. In addition, medical servicesare provided by a contracted entity, Correct Care Solutions. They provide on site nurses who are available 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. weekdays, four hours on Saturdays and Sundays and on call after hours. Monday through Friday, an assigned nurse provides time for physicals, sick calls and TB tests. A medical doctor makes rounds one day per week or on an as needed basis.

Inmate Phone Services

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Education is provided by the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (ISD). Residents are in school 8:25 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. weekdays, year-round. The curriculum is designed to improve individual resident competency as well as provide credit when residents return to their home school district. The ISD provides five certified teachers (one teacher is special education certified) and one teacher assistant. They develop annual goals, new curriculum, and new strategies in working with our high risk population. Strong emphasis is on technology and art. Both areas provide ample time on computers and time to develop expression through art. Upgrades have included a distance learning center and laptop computers for e-learning. In 1997, the facility's education program was named runner-up to the best special education program in the state among all programs, including all public schools.

Library services are available to all residents several times a week. The facility works with the Head Librarian of the Loutit Library in Grand Haven for assistance in selecting and purchasing library materials for residents. Residents may check out 4 library books at a time and hold them for up to two weeks.

As part of the Family Division's services, one eight bed pod is dedicated to substance abuse treatment (CFC). This program is contracted through Catholic Charities West Michigan's Crossroads Family Center. A master's level therapist is assigned 5 days per week to provide substance abuse assessment for all detention residents, as well as individual and group counseling and education for those residents assigned to the substance abuse program. Residents are court ordered into this program and may stay as long as two months but average 30 days. These youth are followed-up in the community with an aftercare worker provided by Crossroads Family Center.

Some youth are ordered into detention for a specified period of time through the Detention Incentive Program that can last upwards of 120 days, but the length of time varies. During this period, these residents meet weekly individually with a licensed psychologist for review, goal setting, and working on issues such as anger, depression and reunification.

Religious services are held each Sunday. Services are coordinated through the jail ministry. A weekly Christian service is available for all residents. Clergy may schedule time to visit residents as well. Barnabas Ministries, Jenison Bible Church and Catholic Jail Ministries provide spiritual counseling and linkage back to the community. Clergy of all faiths are welcomed and can be consulted for program planning.

Behavior Program

Detention can be a difficult place to develop and maintain a peer based behavior management system. Detention is a place where the average stay is approximately 11 days. This seems too short of a period of time to establish a culture that lives the peer based behavior management system. However, the 20th Judicial Circuit Court has maintained one since the early 90's. The outcome is that there are few physical assaults and/or mechanical restraints. Residents participate in maintaining good behavior by using a system which is labeled guided group interaction, "GGI". With this system, residents can develop new skills and become leaders. The two level system gives residents the opportunity to gain more privileges by demonstrating helpful behavior through positive, helpful interaction with their peers. In addition, GGI uses the four-quadrant, Dr. Ken Blanchard, situational leadership model to help staff understand at what level each pod is performing. With GGI, staff can head off problems rather than react to problems. The proof of the program is in minimal assaultive behavior by residents on residents as well as marginal assaults on staff.

Pod Classification

Two treatment programs are active in the detention center. One called Lighthouse, is a short-term, intensive treatment program that encourages community-based connections and activities. The program is open to females ages 12 to 17 under court jurisdiction who are not actively suicidal, psychotic or pregnant. The focus is on stabilization, therapeutic support and strong, interactive guidance. Another is a substance abuse treatment pod that may be co-ed based on court orders for drug treatment. Other pods are classified based on gender, age, and court disposition. One pod is classified female and the other two pods are males: 15 years and younger, and 16 years and older. Due to limited beds and different variables, criteria provide structure on how to deviate from these set classifications.

Wellness Policy

The Ottawa County Juvenile Detention Center promotes healthy meals by supporting wellness, good nutrition and regular physical activity as part of the total learning environment.

Component 1 – Nutrition

Goal -Nutrition plays an important role in the overall physical and mental development of youth, and poor nutrition adversely affects academic achievement and overall health. The Ottawa County Juvenile Detention Center will be committed to providing nutritious meals through contract with Aramark Correctional Services. We will follow all Michigan Department of Education School Lunch Program guidelines and USDA rules regulating the School Lunch Program for the youth served.

Component 2 – Nutrition Education

Goal – Nutrition Education will involve sharing information with staff and youth to positively impact the youth served. Nutrition education will be provided as a component of the school curriculum (including E2020 online classes), and as a life skills component in the facility. Topics included but not limited to: sources and varieties of foods, diet and disease, healthy diet, food labels, understanding calories.

Component 3 – Physical Activities

The Ottawa County Juvenile Detention Center supports the initiative to promote good health, lifelong wellness and physical activity in the academics of each youth. In addition, youth will participate in regularly scheduled physical education activities along with the educational component. A 45 minute Physical Education class is offered 5 days a week. As part of the Physical Education the Physical Education teacher schedules resident/staff activities. OCJDC provides a minimum of 60 minutes of large muscle activity daily.

Component 4 – Other School Based Activities

The Ottawa County Juvenile Detention Center supports the initiative to promote good health, lifelong wellness, and physical activities in the activities of each resident. The juvenile detention center has a garden that is planted and maintained by the students with coordination and support from the Intermediate School District teachers. In coordination with the Ottawa County Intermediate School District we will use teaching materials and activities in participation with the Michigan Department of Education School Lunch Program.

To accomplish these goals:

• Comply with federal state and local requirements for daily meals offered.
• Annual audit of menus of a licensed dietician through Aramark Correctional Services.
• Annual audit and inspection by the Michigan Department of Human Services, Child and Adult Licensing.
• All foods and beverages available during the school day should be consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
• 1% milk and skim milk is provided daily.
• Work with Aramark Correctional Services and licensed dietician to include food items lower in fat and sodium, and higher in fiber.
• Encourage collaboration with Aramark Correctional Services, the Ottawa County Intermediate School District and life skills program to promote better nutrition and healthy life style. Youth are provided an opportunity to maintain a garden. Youth are also able to enjoy the produce from the garden as a supplement to meals provided by Aramark Correctional Services.
• Monitor annually for the Food Service monitoring on a run menu review, ACA standard 4A-04 and 4A-05.
• Monitor annually for the Food Service monitoring on a run menu review, ACA standard 4A-04 and 4A-05.
• Bi-annual food service inspections conducted by the Ottawa County Health Department.
• Aramark Correctional Services Supervisor is ServeSafe trained and certified.
• Nutrition education will be provided and promoted within the school wellness program.
• The Detention Center will promote and monitor annually education initiative in collaboration with the school program, Aramark Correctional Services and with the use of the life skills program. These activities include, but are not limited to: Traditional American Thanksgiving & Christmas
• Physical activity will be available as a component of the school curriculum as required. Resident and staff sporting events will occur on occasion throughout the year.
• Physical activities will be promoted and provided outside the curriculum and school day, monitored through ACA standards as follows:
  • 3-JDF-5E-01 Facilities of less than 50 juveniles have staff members trained in recreation or related fields.
  • 3-JDF-5E-02 Written policy and procedures grant juveniles access to recreational opportunities and equipment including when the climate permits outdoor exercise.
  • 3-JDF-5E-03 A variety of fixed and movable equipment is provided for each outdoor and indoor recreational period.
  • 3-JDF-5E-04 Written policy, procedure and practice provide a recreation and leisure-time plan that includes, at a minimum, at least one hour per day of large muscle activity and one hour of structured leisure time activities.

Development and implementation of this Local School Wellness Policy will include the following stakeholders; students comments on food surveys, grievances, and classroom studies, a representative from Aramark Correctional Services, Physical Education teacher at the juvenile detention center, a representative from Correct Care Solutions, an administrator from the juvenile detention center and parent/guardian feedback gathered quarterly at visitation.