Darrell B. Hester Juvenile Justice Center

County Juvenile

Last Updated: June 05, 2024
Address
2310 W Hwy 77 , San Benito, TX 78586
Beds
64
County
Cameron
Phone
956-361-4603
Fax
956-361-4634
Email
Erica.Moreno@co.cameron.tx.us
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 1690, San Benito, TX 78586

Hester Juvenile Center is for County Juvenile offenders have not been sentenced yet and are detained here until their case is heard.

All prisons and jails have Security or Custody levels depending on the inmate’s classification, sentence, and criminal history. Please review the rules and regulations for County juvenile - low facility.

If you are unsure of your inmate's location, you can search and locate your inmate by typing in their last name, first name or first initial, and/or the offender ID number to get their accurate information immediately Registered Offenders

Satellite View of Darrell B. Hester Juvenile Justice Center

You can support your loved ones at Hester Juvenile Center on InmateAid, if you have any immediate questions contact the facility directly at 956-361-4603.

The Darrell B. Hester Juvenile Justice Center is within the jurisdiction of the Cameron County Juvenile Justice System located at 2310 W Hwy 77 , San Benito, TX.

Detention centers are for youth who are detained under specific circumstances set by Texas statute. They hold youth who are awaiting court dates or placement in a residential facility.

The facility provides supervision of youth in a safe, secure, and humane environment. Youth services include education, mental health, substance abuse, and health care. Medical and mental health are contracted services. Educational services are funded by the Department of Education through local school districts.

A typical day in secure detention would involve hygiene, meals, school, structured physical and educational activities, and court appearances as scheduled. The average length of stay in secure detention is approximately 10 days. If a youth is court-ordered and or detained in the Facility the youth will be assigned a probation officer. Please contact the child's probation officer for all questions regarding court hearings.

The juvenile justice system differs significantly from the adult criminal system, recognizing that juveniles' brains and emotional regions are still developing. Consequently, methods effective for adults may not work for juveniles. The system aims to address public interests and the needs of juveniles and their families, focusing on skills and resources to prevent future issues. The primary goal is to ensure the safety of both the child and the public, mitigate any damage from the child's behavior, and help the child become a productive adult.

Juveniles are detained if they pose a threat, are likely to miss court proceedings, or violate court orders. The system balances immediate safety concerns with long-term rehabilitation goals. Parental involvement is crucial, as successful supervision plans require parents to enforce rules, attend meetings, and stay engaged in their child’s progress.

The juvenile system emphasizes education and rehabilitation, with different terminology from the adult system. For instance, "arrest" is "taken into custody," "probation" is "supervision," and "sentencing" is "disposition."

Referrals to Juvenile Court usually come from law enforcement, and the intake social worker decides if the juvenile goes home, to shelter care, or a secure facility. An inquiry can result in dismissal, a corrective action plan, or a court petition. A plea hearing follows, where the juvenile admits or denies the allegations, and further evaluations may be ordered. A pre-trial conference may settle the case, but if not, a fact-finding hearing determines if a dispositional hearing is needed. The final dispositional hearing involves reviewing reports and recommendations to decide the case's outcome. Parents may be required to cover costs associated with the court order, including legal and medical expenses.

Inmate Locator

Juvenile facilities overseen by Cameron County do not publish the names of the offenders housed in their facility. As such, there is no public forum for this information.

Visitation Information

All approved visitors must abide by the following regulations.

Visitation Hours

Monday-Friday
3:45 p.m.– 6:30 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday
9:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m.

1 Visit per Week | Time Limit: 30 minutes

Visitations may be granted at the administrator's discretion during non-programming hours or after court when a parent, legal guardian, or custodian has not been able to visit within the allowed seven (7) days.

Who Can Visit

  • No person(s) under the age of 18 are allowed to visit.
  • Only parents, legal guardians, custodians and the resident’s attorney are allowed to visit. Any exceptions to this must be granted permission by the Facility Administrator (FA) or Operations Manager (OM).
  • If the resident’s parents are divorced and have joint custody, both parents will be allowed to visit during the thirty (30) minute time period. If divorced parents have conflict with each other, each parent will be provided a fifteen (15) minute time period.
  • If a parent has had their parental rights terminated by a lawful court order, they will be denied admission for visitation.
  • In addition, visitation of the resident will be governed by the court order document stating such limitations.

Dress Code Is Strictly Enforced.

  • No gang-affiliated clothing
  • No hats
  • No sunglasses
  • No spandex pants,
  • No low cut or halter tops, or any clothing item is considered offensive.
  • Shorts or/and skirts MUST be at knee length.

Prohibited Items

  • No food, drinks, candy or gum are allowed to be brought into the facility
  • No purses or bags
  • No electronic cell phones, tape recorders, video recorders, cameras, electronic devices (i.e. ipods, mp3 players, tablets, etc.)
  • No weapons allowed
  • No smoking
  • No profanity or disorderly

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