What is the difference between a juvenile detention center and a juvenile correctional facility?

A juvenile detention center and a juvenile correctional facility are both places where youth can be held for various reasons, but the two are very different. A juvenile detention center is designed for short-term stays, usually no more than a few days. These centers are run by the county and usually take in children who are arrested and awaiting court hearings, or those who were found or suspected to have committed a crime and are waiting to be released to a parent or guardian. The juvenile correctional facility, however, is a much more permanent setting, and caters to offenders who are judge to have committed serious offenses. These offenders are held until they reach the age of majority and can be released either on parole, or in completion of their sentence. The facilities are run by the state and most likely have a therapeutic component in addition to punishment and structured reform during the teens’ stay. The two settings are different in purpose and intent. The juvenile detention centers are not set up for correctional purposes, but are instead necessary for detainment of juvenile offenders before due process has been completed, while the juvenile correctional facilities are designed for the purpose of actually rehabilitating youth by means of therapy, education, and structured programming, as well as providing punishment.

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