Philosophy of Detention

• Respect for the dignity of the human person is basic.
• Recognition of the special needs presented by the developmental nature of adolescence underlies policies and operations.
• Detention, though often brief, is a critical time; and the important factor is the quality of human relationships rather than the duration.
• Detention will be effective to the extent that its aims are consistent with those of the larger juvenile justice system. Making cooperation with the court, probations and other agencies essential.
• Detention must attend to the interests of both the community and the offender: it must protect community safety, hold youth accountable and promote resident well being and development of competencies.
• Everything that happens in detention is important: the formal program and the informal climate that prevails. Staff, acknowledging this premise and governed by a common mission, must understand and invest in the philosophy and purposes of detention.