Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center
After a child is detained during a criminal investigation, the child might be brought to the Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has a holding facility for juveniles in Hillsborough County who are being detained for a delinquent offense or who are awaiting a court hearing or placement in a residential program.
An experienced juvenile defense attorney can represent your child at the first appearance to argue for the child’s release from custody. Even if the child is ordered to remain at the detention center for 21 days, a criminal defense attorney can file a motion to request that the court reconsider that decision so that the child can be released.
Attorneys for Juveniles at the Detention Center in Tampa, FL
The juvenile defense attorneys in Tampa, FL, at Sammis Law Firm represent children behind held at the Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center. We can visit the child at the detention center to talk with them about what happened and the best way to fight the charges.
Our goal is to protect the child’s future and also to make sure the root of the problem is addressed so that no other problems occur. Without the proper legal representation, the child might face an adjudication of delinquency, a change of placement within their school district after a disciplinary hearing, or a host of other consequences that might follow them for a lifetime.
Too many children are being held in secure detention when they could be released to their parents while the case is pending. Don’t see the judge alone. Contact an attorney experienced in fighting cases in juvenile court.
Call 813-250-0500.
What Happens at the Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center?
This self-contained program at the Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center is required to provide for your child’s needs while they are waiting there including clothing and hygiene products. The child does not need any money while at the detention center.
The Department of Juvenile Justice has adopted the Trauma Information Care approach to working with the youth while the child is being detained in the facility.
Medical and mental health personnel will assess the child within 24 hours of their arrival. All youth held at the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) in Hillsborough County will sign an Authorization for Evaluation and Treatment form. If the parent is not able to come to the facility to sign the form, then the parent can contact the child’s Juvenile Probation Officer (JPO) in Tampa for assistance.
If the child has any medical conditions, the form should be delivered as soon as possible. If the child takes any prescribed medications, the parent can bring those items to the juvenile detention center in Tampa. It must be in the original unaltered prescription bottle. Any outside medical expenses incurred during the child’s stay in the Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center will be billed to the parents.
The center does not accept phone calls for youth. However, each child is allowed 20 minutes of phone calls each week to contact parents, grandparents or legal guardians. The parent may send letters to the child. The child is also allowed to write you letters. You can also email your child.
Call the center to learn more about visitations. Only parents, grandparents or legal guardians are allowed to visit the child while he or she is being detained.
Read more about what happens at a juvenile detention hearing the day after the child’s arrest.
Additional Resources
Hillsborough Juvenile Regional Detention Center West – Find more information on the detention center for Hillsborough County where juveniles are detained under specific circumstances designated by the Florida statutes. Florida has 21 facilities spread out over 3 regions. The Hillsborough Juvenile Detention Center West is located at 3948 W. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Tampa, FL. While at the facility, juveniles receive educational, mental health, and medical services. The educational services are provided through the local school districts through grants funded by the Department of Education. The average length of stay in secure detention is approximately 12 days. Criminal defense attorneys are allowed to visit juveniles but must sign in with proper identification.
HCSO Services for Juveniles Detained in Hillsborough County, FL – The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office furnishes the secure component of the Juvenile Assessment Center. The JAC is a centralized processing center for adolescents taken into custody in Hillsborough County. Additionally, for the small percentage of juveniles being charged as an adult in adult court, the juveniles are housed in a separate part of the jail (instead of going to JAC or the Hillsborough County Regional Detention Center west at 3948 W. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Tampa, FL.
This article was last updated on Tuesday, July 30, 2019.
