Detention
The services in Detention are mandated by the Illinois Juvenile Court Act. The minors served are juveniles who have been accused of committing a crime and are awaiting trial both in adult and juvenile court, minors sentenced up to thirty (30) days as a court disposition or minors held in contempt of court.

After years of combined effort, construction of the Juvenile Justice Center began in 1996.  The 11.5 million dollar facility opened in March 1997, providing bed space for 64 juveniles. The building also houses the juvenile court and juvenile divisions of the state's attorney's office and public defender's office.

The new facility features the latest in security and safety measures. The building was constructed with 80 beds with pre-investment of core facilities to accommodate another 80 bed addition for a total of long term bed space of 160. The school programming is the result of an intergovernmental agreement between Court Services, St. Charles School District, and the Regional Office of Education. The Regional Office manages the school program with the St. Charles School District being the state fiscal agent.

Challenge Program
The Challenge Program is a court-ordered placement for young men (ages 13 to 16) in the 16th Judicial Circuit who have been adjudicated as delinquent by a Juvenile Judge.

Challenge operates under a philosophy of "Behavior Modification" in which residents are encouraged to display positive behavior through the use of incentives, such as privileges & furloughs. All incoming residents begin on Level I and work their way up the Level system until they reach Level IV. Residents must complete 26 "good weeks" to successfully complete the Challenge Program.

The Challenge Program is designed to meet the behavioral and educational needs of court-ordered male residents. The residents are allowed to have contact with their families and to earn outside privileges, and are required to live in the facility for a 6-month period.

During this time, all residents are expected to cooperate with the program. Each resident must meet the program's expectations in order to earn privileges, furloughs, and successful completion of the program.

The focus of the Challenge Program is on the individual resident improving his own behavior in order to reduce further involvement within the justice system. Residents participate in programming such as; Drug and Alcohol treatment program, Team Skills Building program, Creative Arts, and Anger Management Group.

The program has a capacity of sixteen (16) residents. The Challenge program is located in the same building as detention.

Juvenile Court, parents, guardians, Youth Counselors, Probation Officers, and Teachers all play a role in the resident's stay.

Page modified 14 Sep 2009