Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center Overview
The Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center is operated through the Jefferson County Juvenile Court. It is located in the Justice Center complex, but it is separate from the adult Jefferson County Jail. The center provides short-term secure detention services for male and female youth who are alleged delinquent, adjudicated delinquent, pending court action, awaiting transfer, sentenced to detention, or unable to be safely served in a non-secure environment.
Because this is a juvenile facility, public access is narrower than adult jail access. Youth information is not handled like a county jail roster, and juvenile detention records should not be treated like adult booking records or mugshot files. Families should use Detention Control and Juvenile Court channels for practical custody, visit, phone, mail, and program questions.
The Jefferson County Probate and Juvenile Court Detention Center page is the official source for the facility rules summarized here.
The court page is unusually detailed for a detention facility source because it covers visits, calls, mail, medical care, school services, religious services, and prevention programming in one place.
How to Look Up a Youth at Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center
The juvenile center is not searched through a public adult jail roster. Detention information should be handled through direct, authorized contact with Detention Control or the Juvenile Court. Family members should be ready to provide the youth's legal name and relationship to the youth, and should expect staff to limit information that cannot be released under juvenile confidentiality rules.
- Call Detention Control at 740-283-8684 for visit scheduling and facility-specific detention questions.
- Call the Juvenile Court at 740-283-8557 for court-office routing and case-process questions that are not facility-control issues.
- Use adult jail lookup tools only for adult custody. Ohio VINE and the adult jail phone line are not a substitute for juvenile detention confirmation.
- Ask the court or detention staff which records can be released to a parent, guardian, attorney, probation officer, or approved caseworker.
Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center Address and Contact
The detention center is listed as part of the Jefferson County Justice Center, with Juvenile Court offices on the third floor. The public source gives both the Detention Control number for facility operations and the Juvenile Court number for court-office contact. Use the mailing address for letters and official correspondence when the facility directs that format.
Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center
Justice Center, 3rd Floor
16001 State Route 7
Steubenville, OH 43952
740-283-8684
Detention Control
Jefferson County Juvenile Court
PO Box 549
Steubenville, OH 43952
740-283-8557
Juvenile Court office
Visiting Someone at Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center
Visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance by calling Detention Control. A detained child is permitted one 30-minute visit per week, and incentive points can earn an additional half hour for a visit. Parents, grandparents, legal guardians, and custodians are the invited visitor categories. Attorneys, clergy, probation officers, and approved caseworkers may visit at any time.
Only two visitors are allowed per session. Proper identification is required, every visitor is searched, and nothing may be given directly to a youth. Visitors should leave unnecessary personal items in a vehicle and should not bring items that detention staff will not allow past check-in.
| Day | Hours | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 3:00 PM by advance schedule | Approved in-person juvenile visit |
| Wednesday | 3:00 PM by advance schedule | Approved in-person juvenile visit |
| Thursday | 3:00 PM by advance schedule | Approved in-person juvenile visit |
| Professional visits | Any time for approved roles | Attorney, clergy, probation, approved caseworker |
| Scheduling deadline | At least 24 hours before the visit | Call Detention Control |
Mail, Phone, and Property at Jefferson County Juvenile Detention Center
The juvenile center provides a free phone call at admission. Ongoing phone privileges depend on behavior and available time. Calls are limited to parents, grandparents, and guardians, and they are outgoing collect or prepay calls. The public court page lists separate prepay arrangement numbers for weekday and weekend setup.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail Address | PO Box 549, Steubenville, OH 43952, unless detention staff gives a more specific format. |
| Admission Call | One free phone call is provided upon admission. |
| Ongoing Calls | Tuesday and Thursday 6:30 PM-8:30 PM, and Saturday and Sunday 12:00 PM-3:00 PM, when behavior and time permit. |
| Call Recipients | Parents, grandparents, and guardians only. |
| Call Billing | Outgoing collect or prepay. The court page lists 1-800-583-9683 for weekday prepay arrangements and 1-866-430-0561 for weekend arrangements. |
| Letters | Letters are usually received within 24 hours of delivery and are examined for contraband. |
| Packages | Packages are not permitted; items may be checked, inventoried, and placed with property. |
| Money / Deposits | No public juvenile deposit rule was located in the official detention-center source; ask Detention Control before sending money or property. |
| Facility-to-facility mail | Mail from other juvenile or adult correctional facilities is prohibited. |
Admission, Detention Status, and Juvenile Court Process
Youth may be placed in secure detention when the juvenile court process, safety concerns, transfer status, or detention sentence requires secure supervision. The public court description covers youth who are alleged delinquent, adjudicated delinquent, pending court action, awaiting transfer, serving detention, or unable to be safely served in a non-secure environment. Those categories are not the same as adult criminal booking categories.
Admission includes a free phone call, facility orientation, behavior expectations, medical screening, and placement into the detention schedule. The facility's public rules show that privileges such as calls and letter writing depend partly on behavior. Letter writing is scheduled on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday when privileges have not been lost.
Medical, Education, and Programs
The juvenile center publishes more program detail than the adult jail. Medical staff is available 24 hours a day, sick call is held Monday through Friday, and the center uses a full-time registered nurse and a board-certified physician. Medical assessments are conducted within 72 hours of admission.
Education is mandatory. The detention center provides two certified teachers, and the curriculum is aligned to Ohio standards in math, reading, social studies, English, and science. Religious services are available but optional, and youth are not penalized for choosing not to participate. A drug and alcohol prevention group is held on Monday evenings with a graduate-level certified chemical dependency counselor.
Records and Public Access for Juvenile Detention
Juvenile detention records are handled differently from adult jail records. A youth's detention status, court filings, images, medical information, school information, and family details may be protected by juvenile confidentiality rules. The practical first step is direct contact with Detention Control for facility matters and the Juvenile Court for court-office routing.
Adult jail records channels such as Ohio VINE, sheriff records requests, and adult jail phone confirmation may be useful for adults in the Justice Center, but they should not be treated as juvenile record tools. Parents, guardians, attorneys, probation officers, clergy, custodians, and approved caseworkers each have different roles, and staff may ask for identification or approval before discussing a youth or allowing a visit.
Confirm before traveling: Visit approval, youth eligibility, phone privileges, and mail acceptance can change with court orders and facility rules. Call Detention Control at 740-283-8684.