Louisville Metro Youth Detention Center

You can support your loved ones at Metro Youth Detentio on InmateAid, if you have any immediate questions contact the facility directly at 502-574-6177.

Community Based Services provide a variety of community-based court support services to assist the courts and juvenile justice system in delivering the highest quality of supervision for youth while they await disposition of their court cases. These least restrictive services include Court Process Unit, Court Liaison, Home Incarceration Program, and the Home Supervision Program.

Secure Detention Services fosters a safe environment providing structured supervision and care of youth pending disposition, by offering programs to further their educational, physical, psychological, and social development.

The Louisville Metro Youth Detention Center, on the corner of 8th and Jefferson Street, is the location of the nationally accredited Secure Detention Program. The Secure Detention section of the facility houses pre-adjudicated juveniles, needing the most secure form of detention prior to their court date. The Secure Detention Program Services provided to detained youth include the following:

• Medical Services
• Educational Services
• Social Services
• Recreational Services
• Volunteer Services

Click here to obtain information about Admissions and Release\Transfer Procedures

Behavior Management

Secure Detention implements a behavior management/token economy system as a tool to maintain and manage its overall program. Positive behavior is rewarded with tokens (play money) which a youth may use to purchase hygiene items, snacks, writing paper, etc.
Youth earn tokens by displaying positive interaction with peers and staff, participation in the school program and following the general rules of the facility.

• Within the program there are various levels which the youth can attain, and with each higher level there is the possibility to earn additional privileges.

Click here to be directed to the Secure Detention Resident Handbook

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI)

JDAI is an initiative that was designed to support the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s vision that all youth involved in the juvenile justice system have the opportunity to develop into healthy and productive adults. Jefferson, Fayette, and Campbell counties were selected as pilot sites to implement the JDAI initiative with hopes of expanding the initiative later across the state. To fully support this initiative, Jefferson County’s DMC Committee (Disproportionate Minority Confinement Advisory Board) transitioned into the JDAI collaborative committee.

Through an interrelated set of 8 core strategies, JDAI sites have been able to safely reduce detention numbers and increase alternative programs across the nation. The eight core strategies are listed below:

1. Collaboration among juvenile justice agencies, community organizations and other governmental agencies
2. The use of data in making policy and case-level decisions
3. Objective instruments to guide detention decisions
4. Operation of a continuum of non-secure detention alternatives
5. Case processing efficiencies to reduce the time between arrest and case disposition; improvement of conditions of confinement
6. Safe reductions of special populations (e.g. violations of probation, warrants and cases awaiting placement)
7. Racial/ethnic fairness in policy and case-level decision-making
8. Improving conditions of confinement

Click any of the links below to view items associated with the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative:

JDAI Assessment Summary

Inspection Instrument for JDAI

Purpose of Youth Detention Population Management

Youth Detention Population Management Agreement