Brown County Ray West Juvenile Detention Center

Brown County Ray West Juvenile Detention Center basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 325-646-0923

This facility is for juvenile residents.

The Brown County Ray West Juvenile Detention Center is a medium to low-security detention center located at 1400 Houston St
PO Box 1505 Brownwood, TX that is operated locally by the Juvenile Justice Department and holds youths awaiting the determination of punishment for the crimes which they are accused. Most of the adolescents are here for less than two years.

The Ray West Juvenile Justice Center (RWJJC) is a 14 bed facility. Each child who is brought in has their own room complete with a bed, sheets, blanket, toilet, and sink. The Juvenile Detention Facility is a secure facility, which means that all of the doors lock. Juveniles held in the RWJJC are monitored visually in compliance with the requirements of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. If your child is referred, everything that they need will be provided for them. You do not need to bring anything, except medication that is prescribed, unless there is a special request by the facility for your child.

If your child is placed in Detention, a Detention Hearing must be held no later than the second working day after the child is brought in. The hearing is presided over by an authorized Juvenile Judge (generally the County Court Judge in Brown or Mills County). If a your child is ordered detained, your child may be held in a longer term facility for 10 working days after the initial detention hearing before another Detention Hearing must be held. Your child will be provided an attorney for all hearings if you cannot afford to hire one.

Detention Officers are trained to assist your child with problems that they may experience. If your child has mental or emotional issues that need to be addressed, Center for Life Resources / MHMR for the Brown County will be notified to assess your child.

Your child will be provided with the opportunity to eat 3 meals per day plus a snack in the evening. Your child may refuse to eat, but the opportunity for them to eat will always be provided. Meal times are: Breakfast (Around 7:00 a.m.), Lunch (Around 12:00 p.m.), Supper (Around 6:00 p.m.), and their snack is provided around 8:00 p.m.

Juveniles are allowed to make phone calls once each day for 5 minutes in duration. Calls are made in the evening after 8:00 p.m. Calls are only allowed to those who are on the child's visitation list with approved numbers. Your child's phone call will be automatically disconnected if the phone company detects usage of 3-way calling. Your child has the option of not calling you if there are others on the visitation list, or if they choose not to make a phone call. If you do not answer the phone at the time your child places the call, another opportunity may be provided later in the evening. This is contingent on how many juveniles we have in the facility and the day’s planned activities.

When a child (ages 10 – 17) is referred to the department, a probation officer makes a decision, generally based on the Progressive Sanctions Model, about what the supervision level should be. There are a two types of probation, Deferred Probation and Formal Probation. The department also has the discretion on certain minor offenses to talk with the child and family about choices and offer the child another chance to succeed in the community without supervision. This is called Supervisory Cautioning the child.

One type of probation is Deferred Probation or Deferred Prosecution. Deferred Probation is generally a six month program where the child's formal probation is postponed. This type of probation is the least intensive probation available to the department. If the child can successfully complete the deferred probationary period without getting into more trouble, as well as completing various other tasks that are agreed upon by the probation officer and family, the charge will be considered closed out and taken care of. If the child should be referred again while still on their Deferred Probation, or not be able to successfully complete other tasks, the charge (original and supplemental) can be sent to the County Attorney's Office for a petition to be filed. A petition is when the County Attorney files formal charges on the child, which must be heard in the County Court or County Court At Law. If the child is adjudicated for the offense(s) listed on the petition, the child is placed on the next level of supervision, Formal Probation.

Formal Probation is when the child and/or family need extra support. All Formal Probations generally last for at least one year from the date of the Disposition Hearing, or until the child reached 18 years of age. There is Formal Probation with and without the Intensive Supervision Program (ISP).

Formal Probation without ISP is the lowest level of supervision provided to those who are adjudicated for an offense and placed on Formal Probation. As stated before, the time frame for Formal Probation without ISP is generally one year. During that time frame, the child will be monitored by a probation officer at the child's home, school, and work to ensure compliance with the Court's Orders of Probation. The child will be required to complete community service, and may also be required to pay restitution. The child's parents will be responsible for ensuring that their child attends all ordered activities as well as to provide support to the child to help achieve successful completion of the probationary period. A child may also be removed from their home and placed at a residential treatment facility for a period of 30 days up to one year.

Formal Probation with ISP is the highest level of supervision provided to those who are adjudicated for an offense and placed on Formal Probation. Children have to have a serious single offenses, multiple adjudications, serious violations of their probation, or returning from placement to qualify for ISP. An ISP officer will be assigned to those who qualify for this type of supervision. An ISP officer is a probation officer who will check on the child at various times during the day and night to monitor compliance.

visitation Info

Ray West Juvenile Detention Center – Visitation

Visitation is every day from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., and 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and is for 15 minutes. In order to visit your child, you must be on the approved visitation list provided by the child's Juvenile Probation Officer, and present a valid picture ID prior to each and every visitation. Special visitation times may be set up at the discretion of the Detention Supervisor if there are extremely unique circumstances that hinder a parent from visiting their child during the posted hours. Special visitation times are not guaranteed and parents should make every effort to visit during normal hours.