Custody Services Intake

The decision to detain a youth is a critical one that requires a rigorous analysis of many factors. Juveniles may  be held because of the seriousness of their offense, a history of criminal offenses, the juvenile is a threat to others, or to insure that the juvenile returns to court. Detained youth are ones whose offenses are so serious that release would endanger public safety or the welfare of the child. To help ensure that all youth placed in the facility are appropriate, the Multnomah County public safety partners initially came together in 1995 and developed a county-wide set of policies to aid staff in making placement decisions. System partners have updated these criteria as needed, including the external validation of the detention risk assessment tool (RAI). Youth who are not detained will await their day in court while placed on GPS/electronic monitoring, placed in secure shelter, or monitored in the community by juvenile court counselors.