Youth Services Center

The Youth Services Center provides temporary levels of detention for youth being processed through the justice system, or who have been adjudicated and ordered by the court to serve a specified period of time. Only youth accused of or found guilty of law violations may be admitted by law enforcement or the court system.

Secure Detention Services

There is one distinct program in the Youth Services Center. Secure detention for up to sixty residents, male and female, up to the age of nineteen. (Youth under Adult Court jurisdiction may be at the Center until the age of eighteen.)

Staff

The staff comprises of knowledgeable professionals who address the individual needs of the youth through providing productive and worthwhile programs, activities, and interventions. Providing individual attention to the youth is made possible through direct supervision, cooperative team efforts, and the utilization of a positive behavior management program.

Areas of Service

Youth Services Center services are primarily for residents of Lancaster County, however, the Center also houses juveniles from twenty-six other Nebraska counties and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Mission & Goals

The Mission of the Youth Services Center is to protect the interest and safety of the community and the resident by providing a secure, safe and structured environment for youth and to offer the necessary educational and developmental resources to a culturally diverse detention population.

Accomplishing the Goals

Our goal is to accomplish our Mission in a secure, orderly, and structured environment which is maintained through direct supervision by well-trained competent staff. We are committed to providing a well-structured environment. This is being done through comprehensive educational, spiritual, and recreational programs which encompass accountability-based behavior management. Structure and accountability afford the youth less time to choose unproductive or problematic behaviors.

Taking Advantage of the Opportunities Provided

Youth are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities provided. Youth may acquire or enhance needed skills which can help them adopt positive choices and, in turn, live more productive lives upon release.