King County Juvenile Detention
Programs and Services
King County Juvenile Detention provides many opportunities for constructive, fun programming for youth in our custody. Some of the programs that we offer are:
- Health Clinic: King County Juvenile Detention manages a health clinic inside the secure detention facility, which includes infirmary beds. All youth are screened for physical and mental health needs upon admission to the facility and those needs are addressed during their time in detention or referred to an outside facility if beyond the scope of the detention clinic. King County Juvenile Detention contracts with the University of Washington School of Medicine for health care and behavioral health services.
The Juvenile Health Clinic also partners with Public Health - Seattle and King County to provide women's health care, in particular, sexually transmitted disease prevention and reproductive health. In addition, confidential HIV testing and counseling is provided.
The Health Clinic refers youth in need of further substance abuse assessment and treatment to Juvenile Court Services as well as to Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings that are held in secure detention on a weekly basis. Youth in need of additional mental health services are referred to Superior Court's Mental Health Liaison program.
The Health Clinic also works with a number of Seattle and King County Public Health programs to provide intenstive case management services, pregnancy and pre-natal health care for pregnant youth in custody. The Health Clinic also assists in connecting youth with the Adolescent Access Coordinator who facilitates health services in the community.
The Health Clinic is currently piloting a project that provides vision screening for youth in detention. An optometrist from the community provides a limited number of screenings once a week and can provide youth prescriptions for glasses, exercises for ocular problems and referrals to the community for continued care upon a youth's release.
- Chaplaincy/Religious Services: World Vision's Vision Youth Program in partnership with the Renaissance Leadership Group-Seattle provides non-denominational religious programming in the Juvenile Detention Facility. Structured church services are held each Sunday evening and Chaplains are available for youth to consult with throughout the week. Youth may request Chaplains from any denomination to visit with them while they are in Juvenile Detention.
- Powerful Voices: Powerful Voices provides programming in their STAGES (Strength Through All-Girl Educationa and Support) for girls in Juvenile Detention three times a week. The goals of the Powerful Voices programming are:
- Personal Power
- Safety
- Activism
- Girl Culture
- Adult Guidance and Support
- Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous: Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous are available on alternating days for girls and boys in secure detention. Participation is voluntary and is adolescent based.
- Library: The King County Library System staffs and maintains a library branch in the secure detention facility. All youth may use the library on assigned days for research projects, or just to check out and read books for leisure.
- Recreation: King County Juvenile Detention also offers a rotating schedule of programs and activities with a variety of community partners committed to providing positive and learning experiences for youth. The programs include:
- Yoga
- Fitness For All
- Improv Night
- Reclaiming Black Manhood
