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Juvenile Assessment Center
Denver’s JAC Task Force, initiated in July 2008, has identified crucial gaps in Denver’s delinquency and status offense intake system. The restriction of secure detention capacity, combined with alternative resource limitations, has increased the need for interagency planning and concerted efforts to consistently respond to minor and major delinquent behaviors within legal mandates, available funding, and creative approaches. As a result, a plan was created to establish a center that would have the capacity to intervene with youth who have serious or chronic delinquent and pre-delinquent behaviors. The common starting place across all systems is an assessment that can effectively identify youth and family risk and needs and coordinate efforts to provide the appropriate prevention, intervention and treatment services.
Denver has two juvenile systems: 4F at the municipal level and Denver Juvenile Court at the state level. The Denver County Juvenile Court (4F) was created in the late 1980s, along with new sets of civil ordinances governing juvenile behavior. The court sought to impact juvenile behavior problems, such as vagrancy, fighting, and curfew violations, unaddressed by the district Juvenile Court through the use of citations and court appearances. In regard to sentencing and incarceration of youth, Gilliam Youth Services Center in Denver is currently the only detention facility for youth in Denver. The number of beds available at Gilliam has decreased from 73 beds last year to currently operating 64 beds. From July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011 the program admitted and screened a total of 1,317 youth with an average length of stay of 18.1 days.
SB 94, Paramount Youth Services is tasked with determining public safety risks and appropriateness to detain or release to the community for youth detained due to a misdemeanor or felony charge. Currently, youth who screen to community supervision are held at DPD Juvenile Intake until a parent or guardian can pick them up. These youth could be safely supervised in a less secure and institutional setting of a JAC.
Currently, the JAC task force is in the process of planning construction and operation of the Denver JAC. Plans are in place to open the Denver JAC in 2012.
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