Secure Detention

ACS operates two secure detention facilities: Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brownsville, Brooklyn and Horizon Juvenile Center in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. These facilities have the most restrictive security features.  

All Juvenile Offenders and Adolescent Offenders have their cases heard in the Youth Part of the Supreme Court and must be held in secure detention if remanded or held in on bail by a judge.  Juvenile Delinquents, whose cases are heard in the Family Courts, can be remanded to secure detention if ordered by the judge.

Secure detention is typically reserved for youth who pose the highest risk or who have been accused of committing serious offenses. The Court can remand youth who are alleged or adjudicated juvenile delinquents, juvenile offenders or adolescent offenders to secure detention. Juvenile delinquents have their cases heard in the Family Court and juvenile offenders have their cases heard in the Youth Part of Supreme Court. Adolescent Offenders can have their cases heard in the Youth Part of Supreme Court or cases can be waived down to Family Court.

Intake and Orientation

All youth go through the intake process which includes medical, educational, and social service assessments. ACS' Case Management staff initiates the process by conducting an extensive youth and family intake interview, authorizing call recipients and family members for telephone and visitation access, collecting consent forms and vital documents and providing information concerning youth rights and responsibilities while in Detention.

Case Management

All youth are assigned an ACS case manager who helps them adjust to the facility, counsels them, and interacts with the youth's family and counsel to support lasting connections. The case manager also works with the youth's family, lawyer, and other stakeholders to ensure all of their physical, emotional, educational and social needs are met. Case management supports the developmental needs of youth by identifying a youth's strengths, interests, and potential barriers to community reentry, and coordinating direct communication between the case manager, the youth, families, internal and external providers to optimize positive outcomes for youth.

On-site Services

• Medical: All youth receive medical services provided by an ACS-contracted medical provider onsite around the clock. Services include health and mental health screenings, comprehensive health assessment and physical, annual physical, health education, therapeutics, routine follow-ups, referral to specialty clinics, laboratory services, immunization, urgent and emergent care as appropriate, and discharge planning for continuity of care.

• Dental: All youth receive dental services provided by an ACS-contracted provider onsite including a comprehensive dental examination within the first 20 days of admission, subsequent regular dental care, oral hygiene education, follow-ups on acute and chronic conditions, referrals to offsite dental specialties, and discharge planning for continuity of care.

• Mental Health: ACS partners with NYU/ H+H Bellevue to provide mental health services for residents in secure detention. NYU/ H+H Bellevue staffs each secure detention facility with an on-site team of full-time psychiatrists and psychologists as well as administrative support. The multi-disciplinary team is available seven days per week to conduct screenings and evaluations and provide treatment and discharge planning as needed. Clinicians screen all youth for trauma exposure, post-traumatic symptoms, depression, child trafficking risk and substance abuse at intake.

• Education Services: The Department of Education's Passages Academy provides instruction according to grade-level in all major middle and high school subjects. Eligible youth may also enroll in a high school equivalency program offered by Passages Academy. Youth in secure detention also have access to college programming. ACS partners with the Borough of Manhattan Community College and Hostos to offer college knowledge workshops and credit-bearing courses in each secure facility. Tutors and academic coaches are available to provide all youth in detention with individualized support to further their academic goals.

• Nutrition Services: ACS provides nutritious meals to all youth in our care. Our Nutrition and Food Services Department carefully crafts and plans out menus for our sites with seasonally fresh and locally sourced food. In addition to meeting federal regulations, meals are prepared to meet the New York City Food Standards. Our team goes above and beyond to promote healthy eating and lower the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease among all New Yorkers, including the children and youth in our care. After the menus are finalized, meals are prepared daily from scratch. At all ACS sites, youth are served three meals per day, where fresh fruit is always offered, as well as an evening snack after the dinner meal.

• Youth Rights Unit: All youth have access to youth rights staff during their time in detention. The Youth Rights Unit provides advocacy and supportive services designed to protect and promote the rights of young people navigating detention. The Youth Rights Unit elevates youth voice and services throughout the services it offers and in both facilities. Offerings include:
  • Leadership Council where young people elect a leader to represent their hall in a facility-wide Council comprised of youth.
  • Grievance Program where a formal complaint process exists to resolve issues and afford our young people due process for their concerns.
• Recreation and Activities: Youth in detention participate in a variety of daily recreational activities such as music, art, creative writing, gardening, yoga, and physical fitness. Special activities include teen workshops, motivational speakers, sports tournaments, film making projects, vocational career readiness and culinary workshops. Annual activities include Black History, Hispanic Heritage, Women's History, Veterans Day Celebrations, anti-bullying programs, and domestic violence awareness. Some recreational activities such as songwriting projects and digital technology workshops offer an opportunity for youth to receive Department of Education credits.
• Law librarian: Youth in secure detention have access to a law librarian, who can assist in explaining the case process and terminology, facilitate communication between them and their attorneys, and support them in reviewing their discovery materials.

Visitation

Please contact your youth's Case Manager to inquire about scheduling visits.

To reach Case Management at Crossroads, please call: 718-688-8264/718-688-8270 or email CJC_CaseMgmt@acs.nyc.gov.

To reach Case Management at Horizon, please call: 718-742-8496/718-742-6718 or email hojc_case_manager@acs.nyc.gov.

Contact our Secure Detention Centers:

Horizon Juvenile Center
560 Brook Avenue, Bronx, NY 10455
718-292-0065

Crossroads Juvenile Center
17 Bristol Street, Brooklyn, NY 11212
718-240-3800