A. PHILOSOPHY

Home Detention is a program designed for youth ages 10 through 17 that reside in Brown County.  Home Detention is defined as the supervision of a juvenile in his own residence as ordered by the Court.  A Home Detention Officer closely monitors the youth’s activities and behavior for a period of time.  A juvenile is placed on this program under strict guidelines to help him become more accountable for his decisions and attitude.

Home Detention has two main functions:

1. To assist parents and probation in closely supervising a child who has demonstrated problems in school, home and/or with the law.
2. Used as a less restrictive alternative to secure detention.

B. SUPERVISION

While it’s not possible to maintain continuous surveillance of a juvenile’s behavior, the juvenile’s behavior can be observed randomly throughout the day. A Home Detention Officer will make one face-to-face and two phone contacts per day with the juvenile.  More contacts can be made at the discretion of the Home Detention Officer or on the directive of the Judge.  The juvenile’s attendance and behavior at school, work, and community service are closely monitored with calls and/or visits.  Electronic monitoring can also be used to help track the juvenile 24 hours a day. 

C. CONSEQUENCES

If a juvenile fails to comply with the Home Detention Contract, the Home Detention Officer notifies Dispatch and law enforcement immediately picks up the juvenile and places them in the Brown County Juvenile Detention Center.  The juvenile’s release from secure detention is determined by Home Detention staff, Court Services, or a Judge during a detention hearing.

D. COMMUNITY SERVICE/MENTORING

The Home Detention Officers organize several community service and mentoring projects throughout the year to keep the juveniles active in the community. All the projects are supervised by Home Detention Officers. These activities include many positive outlets for the juvenile to hopefully continue once released from the program.

E. PROGRAM GUIDELINES

1. Home Detention is used in the pre-adjudicatory phase with referrals from Court Services, Judges, State’s Attorney and occasionally parents.
2. Home Detention is designed to be short term in nature with the expectation due process and disposition will be expedited.  The average time on the program is four to six weeks.  The range has been from 1 day to eight months. 
3. The maximum caseload for the Home Detention Program shall be 16 juveniles per day. 
4. An order from the Court is required authorizing the use of the Home Detention Program.
5. A contract is signed by the juvenile, the parents, and a Home Detention Officer, which outlines the conditions that must be followed during the period of Home Detention. It is understood that both the juvenile and the parents agree to participate in the Home Detention Program. A contempt of court clause is included in the contract and stipulation for the determent of parents to enable their child to go beyond the Home Detention contract.
6. A daily log will be maintained by the Home Detention Officer to document contacts with the juvenile and their family.  Meetings with service providers, the legal system, school personnel, and employers are also noted.  Results of court hearings are also documented.  Home Detention Officers log information on the juvenile’s behavior, attitude, compliance with the rules and any problems that arise.  If major problems occurred and the juvenile was placed in Juvenile Detention Center due to rule infractions, the circumstances are documented.
7. If a juvenile violates the program and is placed in Juvenile Detention Center he/she may be allowed another chance to continue on Home Detention.  This will be determined by the Judge, Court Services, and/or Home Detention staff.
8. Prior to the juvenile’s court hearing, a Home Detention Officer will complete a summary documenting the youth’s cooperation or any problems that occurred while the youth was on Home Detention.  A copy of this report is forwarded to the Judge, Court Services, State’s Attorney and the juvenile’s file. A juvenile is officially released from the program once the Judge signs the Order of Release.