Kevin Merritt

The Oklahoma County Juvenile Detention Facility is an 80 bed Facility designed for short-term secure placement of Juveniles in Oklahoma County. The Facility is licensed by the Office of Juvenile Affairs and is subject to the rules and regulations as established by that State Agency. Audits by the State and other applicable regulatory agencies have proven the quality of care and accountability far exceeds the minimum requirements. The American Correctional Association has given its highest ratings to this Facility and the professionalism of its staff. The Facility has been accredited since 1990.

About the Residents

Residents of this Facility have all committed serious violations of the law and are placed in custody for the safety of the community and themselves. Their time while in the Facility though is viewed as an opportunity to learn, reflect and change their behavior. It is the goal to release back to the community, a teenager who can resume a productive and healthy lifestyle, and who will stay out of further contact with the Juvenile Justice System.

Methods Used

The methods that are utilized are ones of accountability and positive rewards for appropriate behavior. Juveniles placed in the custody of the Facility have a high percentage of performing well while in detention and are then prepared to meet the challenges they face once they are released.

Drug & Alcohol Unit

The Drug and Alcohol Unit provides drug-testing services to juveniles and adults ordered to participate through Juvenile-Court. Services are provided through 3 programs.

Diversion

This program is for first-time juvenile drug or alcohol offenders. They are required to complete 6 consecutive weeks of negative drug testing and 6 drug education classes. They must also be participating in an approved educational program. If they are successful, no charges are filed.

LINK Program

This is a drug-testing program offered to juveniles and adults as part of their probation or service plan. All participants are Court ordered. They are required to complete 6 consecutive weeks of negative drug testing. Any missed appointments or positive drug tests cause them to start the 6 weeks over again.

Side-Track Program

This program focuses on juveniles who have demonstrated an inability to control their drug use through their failure to successfully complete the LINK or Diversion Program. This is an effort to help the juvenile be successful by becoming and remaining drug-free. Participants are ordered to the program for 6 months. Requirements include weekly drug testing, a tight curfew, participation in an educational program and community service work. In addition, all clients participate in a drug/alcohol assessment to determine needs and are placed in appropriate treatment. All clients are required to attend frequent Administrative Hearings to review their status and as an opportunity to praise success and/or address problems. Consequences or sanctions may be imposed as needed. The client's requirements will change as they progress through the program. If the client is successful at the end of the six months, all charges are dismissed.

Other Services

The Court frequently requires a drug test to determine the outcome of a hearing, whether a child can be released from detention or if a child can be returned to the parent in a deprived matter. The Drug and Alcohol Unit provides this service to the Court as needed.

Intake Services

In most cases, the Intake Unit is the first contact that a juvenile has with the Juvenile Justice System after the police department. The Intake Diversion Unit has a variety of duties but the 5 primary responsibilities of the unit are:

• Conducting certification studies
• Conducting preliminary inquiries on new referrals
• Screening detention admission requests
• Supervising deferred filing caseloads
• The Homebound Program, an alternative to secure detention

Preliminary Inquiry

After receipt of each referral, the Intake Officer arranges an appointment with the defendant (juvenile) and the parents/legal guardians to conduct a mandatory pre-adjudication interview. The interview consists of discussing the offense(s), gathering information regarding school, friends, behaviors, parental information, etc. After this interview, the officer will make a recommendation to the District Attorney as to whether they believe the juvenile would benefit from a non-judicial program, or, if charges need to be filed and the youth referred to Court for formal action.

Detention Screening

Intake Officers are available 24 hours a day to receive and screen calls from various law enforcement agencies within Oklahoma County requesting admission of a juvenile to the detention facility. The detention screening process is made up of reviewing and evaluating the juvenile’s current offense, past history, protection of the community and whether the juvenile would be available to the court, when so ordered.

Deferred Filing Caseload

As an alternative to filing a charge against the juvenile, the Intake Officer may in certain cases, design and monitor a Deferred Filing Agreement with the juvenile, the parents/guardian and the District Attorney. The Intake Officer’s main responsibility is to assist the juvenile and family in identifying problem areas, set up programs to help correct these problems by facilitating the family’s participation in these programs. This process is provided to correct the negative behavior while providing consequences for the commission of offenses.

Certification

Certification studies are conducted at the order of the Court. The certification hearing is conducted when the District Attorney has filed a “Motion for Certification” on a juvenile and the court has found prosecutable merit in the case. It is a study to help the Court determine if the juvenile should be handled as an adult. These studies are done in conjunction with a psychological study performed by a psychologist. These studies speak to the type of offense that was committed, past history, age and rehabilitative possibilities of the juvenile.

Home Bound Program

When a juvenile has been placed into secure detention and it is believed that he/she may need some supervision but does not need to be in a secure facility, they may be referred to the Home Bound Program. This program provides juveniles pending court with less restrictive supervision. The juvenile and parent/legal guardians must agree to a set of rules designed for the juvenile. These rules will involve at the very least, adult supervision of a parent/legal guardian and the attendance of school or work. The juvenile must report at least 2 times per day by telephone and is seen daily, in person by the Home Bound Officer.

Type of Offenses

Ages 13 to 17

• Murder in the first degree

Ages 15 to 17

• Arson in the first degree (or attempt)
• Assault and Battery with a deadly weapon or by means of force likely to produce death
• Discharging a firearm, crossbow, or other weapon from a vehicle
• Forcible Sodomy
• Kidnapping for the purpose of extortion
• Lewd Molestation
• Manslaughter in the first degree
• Murder in the second degree
• Rape by instrumentation (or attempt)
• Rape in the first degree (or attempt)
• Robbery with a dangerous weapon (or attempt)
• Robbery with a Firearm (or attempt)
• Shooting with intent to kill

Ages 16 to 17

• Aggravated assault and battery on a Police Officer
• Assault or Assault and Battery with a Deadly Weapon
• Battery or assault and battery or aggravated assault and battery upon an employee of a state facility for delinquent children
• Burglary in the first degree (or attempt)
• Intimidating a witness
• Maiming
• Rape in the second degree
• Residential burglary II after two or more delinquent adjudications for residential burglary II or burglary I
• Trafficking in, or manufacturing illegal drugs
• Use of a firearm in the commission of a felony

Probation Services

The Probation Unit of the Oklahoma County Juvenile Bureau is mandated to provide probation services to juveniles of Oklahoma County by State Statutes. Probation is a legal status imposed by the court upon entering a disposition order. It allows juveniles who have been adjudicated and made wards of the Court to remain in their homes under court supervision rather than being placed out of the home.

Probation is a service that provides the community with protection, accountability of the juvenile, and promotes competency (rehabilitation of the juvenile). Juveniles are monitored by Officers of the Court (Juvenile Officers). The mission of the Probation Unit is to reduce the recidivism of juvenile delinquency by providing direct rehabilitative and supervisory services and arranging for the development and/or utilization of specialized community-based services. An individualized probation plan is formulated to address the needs of the client, his or her family and the community. Strong emphasis is placed on protection of the community, accountability of the juvenile, and competency development for the juvenile. Each plan attempts to achieve a balance between the client's needs for educational and vocational training, emotional growth and interpersonal development in the community with the need to protect the community from delinquent acts.

Office Visits

Upon assignment of the case, the Juvenile Officer contacts the parents or guardians of the client and schedules the initial office visit. During the first visit, the Juvenile Officer begins to establish a working relationship with the family. An assessment of the client's behavior and educational level is initiated and the identification of the predominant family dynamics is begun. Following the first visit, the officer meets with the family in their home. This provides unique insights into the factors that influenced the client and his/her behavior.

Probation Plan

After a comprehensive family history has been completed and problem areas identified, a probation plan is formulated. The plan has to be filed 30 days after the adjudication hearing. The plan includes treatment goals and action steps that involve the client, his/her family and the Juvenile Officer.

Supervision

Once a disposition plan has been adopted by the Court, the process of supervision begins. During the time the juvenile is on probation, the family and Juvenile Officer work together to achieve the identified goals. The duration of probation depends on the juvenile and his/her compliance. If a juvenile is not complying in some areas, sanctions can be applied. The goal for the client is successful completion of his/her plan within 6 months. When non-compliance continues and a juvenile commits an additional offense, the Juvenile Officer may ask for revocation to be filed, which would revoke the client's probation and the Court would order placement with the Office of Juvenile Affairs.

Post Adjudication Review Board (P.A.R.B.)

The Post Adjudication Review Board is an innovative program that was developed as the result of federal and state legislation during the 1980s. The program was created out of concern for the welfare of each child's right to grow up in a family that cares for his or her needs.

Board Make-Up

In Oklahoma County, there are approximately 16 different boards made up of interested citizens living within our judicial district. The Commission on Children and Youth appoints volunteer board members through the recommendation of Judge Richard Kirby, presiding judge of the Oklahoma County Juvenile Court. A single P.A.R.B. is usually made up of 5 or 6 members who conduct reviews of court cases involving children who have been adjudicated as deprived.

Children that We Serve

Adjudicated is defined as one of the juvenile judges has made a legal finding, determination or decision in a case. An adjudicated deprived child is a child that has not had proper parental or adult care and most usually has been a victim of abuse, neglect or abandonment. After adjudication, these children are in out-of-home placements such as foster homes, relatives' homes or other residential settings.

Board Members

P.A.R.B. members are people just like you; people who have a concern for the quality of life children experience today along with a desire to help our children enjoy a brighter future. The volunteers come from all walks of life and often include business owners, retirees, teachers, foster parents, attorneys, homemakers, physicians, nurses, ministers, social service providers and daycare personnel.

Case Information

Case information is confidential and all members must strictly adhere to the Law of Confidentiality. Boards meet monthly and meetings usually last for several hours. All boards for Oklahoma County meet at the Juvenile Center in Oklahoma City at varying times of the day to accommodate busy people who volunteer for this important work. It is the job of the board to evaluate the goals of each individual case and the progress made toward these goals. Through written recommendations, the board advises the court whether these goals and services are being met and whether they are in the best interest of the child involved. For more information on how you can volunteer for this important community service, please contact Callis Marie Hernandez, P.A.R.B. Coordinator, at 405-713-6457.

SEA Program

The SEA (Service-Education-Accountability) Program provides supervised work for children involved through the juvenile court system to complete community service to pay restitution to their victims. There are 8 to 10 juveniles participating on Saturdays and Sundays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Litter clean-up, gardening, graffiti removal, planting, packaging food, organizing clothes, leaf raking and painting are a few examples of the types of work the youth are involved in.

Goals

The Sea Program contracts with non-profit organizations to accomplish the following goals:

• The participants will learn to give back to the community
• To assist the juvenile in connecting with programs out in their community
• To be a part of and belong
• To become responsible and accountable
• To give the youth a sense of participating in something positive
• To increase awareness that they can touch others' lives
• To increase the effectiveness of probation
• To increase the learning process for the juvenile
• To increase the opportunity for juveniles to pay restitution
• To see completion of a project from beginning to end

More Information

Contact DeAnna Dixon at 405-713-6452 for more information.

CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK

Anyone interested in obtaining the criminal history of an Oklahoma County defendant can go online to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Criminal History Information Request Portal (CHIRP) by clicking here.

Oklahoma Department of Corrections

Click here to search for an inmate.