What is the difference between incarceration and detention for juveniles?

The difference between incarceration and detention for juveniles in Tennessee is important to understand. Incarceration is a formal legal process that typically involves placing a court-adjudicated juvenile in a secure facility. Incarceration is the most serious consequence that comes with a juvenile conviction, and in Tennessee, it can involve placement in a secured detention home or boot camp, or residential placement in a State-funded youth development center, depending on the age of the offender and the seriousness of the offense. Detention, on the other hand, is a temporary, non-adjudicatory form of legal custody. It involves placing a juvenile in a secure facility until an appropriate court hearing can be held. Detention is used as a form of punishment, but also serves to protect the community from the juvenile or provide a safe environment where the juvenile can be protected from harm or further criminal activity. In Tennessee, secure detention is used when a juvenile is considered as a danger to himself or others, likely to commit additional offenses, or is an escape risk from non-secure placements. Ultimately, the difference between incarceration and detention for juveniles in Tennessee is that incarceration represents a formal legal punishment, while detention is used to protect the community and offer the juvenile a safe environment until a court hearing can be held.

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