Grayson County TX Juvenile Detention Center

Grayson County TX 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: 903-786-6326

This facility is for juvenile residents.

The Grayson County TX Juvenile Detention Center is a medium to low-security detention center located at 86 Dyess St Denison, 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.

In January 1985 the Cooke, Fannin and Grayson Counties opened on the grounds of the vacated Perrin Air Base now known as North Texas Regional Airport, this Juvenile Detention Center as a regional cooperative owned and operated by all three counties. This is a twenty-four-hour secure facility for the temporary detention of 30 juveniles for law violations, pending juvenile court, placement in a residential facility or transport to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. The detention center contracts with juvenile probation departments as needed. The goal of the center is to provide a short term safe and secure environment for the child and provide safety for the community.

The detention center staff consists of a Deputy Director, Shift Supervisors and Juvenile Supervision Officers. Each detention center staff is a certified juvenile supervision officer with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and must undergo 80 hours of continuing education every two years to maintain their certification.

When a child is admitted to the facility they are screened for identification, medical, emotional, and mental health needs. All children that are admitted are required to wear a detention uniform and are assigned to sleep in individual rooms. Residents are visually monitored 24 hours a day for their safety and the safety of the community. The detention center program is based on a level system that promotes a structured environment that supports both rewards for good behavior and loss of privileges for negative behavior. All children admitted to the detention center follow a structured daily program. During the course of a week after school programs include anger management, arts and crafts and girls group which are facilitated by department staff. These programs are increased for the kids during the summer months. During the course of the day residents are also provided a structured recreation time that includes activities either inside the facility or in the outside recreation area.

Telephone Communication – POLICY: The Juvenile Detention Center is equipped with a type of business phone in which the residents are allowed to use, under strict supervision and guidelines. The phones on which the residents may use to talk on are located in a separate area. The residents are not allowed to use the phone at the control desk. Restrictions on a resident’s telephone usage shall not be imposed as a disciplinary sanction. A copy of the policy regarding the resident telephone communications will be provided to the parent, guardian or custodian at visitation.
Numbers of calls per week: All residents may have a maximum of 3 calls per week on Monday Wednesday and Friday to Parents/legal guardians or other family members as designated by the JPO on the verification of visitors form.

Each resident may call their attorney one (1) time per week (Tuesday) and their JPO one (1) time per week (Thursday) during normal business hours from 8am to 5pm. Since the attorneys and probation officers will call the resident if they have important information for the residents, one out-going call per week is sufficient.

INCOMING CALLS – Limitation of incoming calls: Incoming calls are limited to attorneys, retained or appointed to represent the resident in court proceedings and the Juvenile Probation Officer for the resident. Any other incoming calls shall be referred to the Shift Supervisor, Deputy Director or the JPO for the resident.
OUTGOING CALLS – Calling periods: Telephone calls may be placed by the Juvenile Supervision Officer for the resident during the times of 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday as their level permits. Other times may be imposed by the Juvenile Supervision Officer on duty if the telephone times canceled by intake, visitation, special program, etc. Exceptions to these time periods or cancellation of telephone privileges may also be imposed by the Juvenile Supervision Officer at any time that the safety and security of the facility may be jeopardized.

Residents, in general, are allowed to call their legal guardian/s/, grandparents, attorney, clergy, JPO, and others as authorized by the JPO. Calls to attorneys of record and probation officers shall be made during the normal business hours 8 am – 5 pm. JPO’s will be called on Thursdays and attorneys will be called on Tuesdays. Calls to JPO’s and Attorneys will not have a time limit on phone calls.

Call Duration – In order to allow all residents who want to call, the duration of calls to people on the approved telephone list will be as followed; 5 minutes entry level, 10 minutes for level I, 15 minutes for level II.

Supervision of the residents – Residents will be supervised at all times during phone calls.

Monitoring of Calls: staff on duty may monitor all calls, except calls to attorneys of record.

Termination of phone call – The Juvenile Supervision Officer shall have the authority to terminate a phone call if the resident becomes hostile or abusive, if there is sufficient reason to believe that a youth is speaking to someone other than those approved by policy, or if information detrimental to the security of the facility is being conveyed.

Refusal of phone privilege – Telephone calls must not cause program disruption. Under varying circumstances, a resident may be refused phone privileges. These circumstances include but are not limited to: the resident requesting the phone privilege is currently on room confinement/restriction status, and or the resident is restricted at that time due to previous negative behavior on the phone, it is an inappropriate time, (i.e.: church in session, school time), or for any other reason that the Juvenile Supervision Officer must Juvenile Supervision Officer document as jeopardizing the safety and security of the facility

visitation Info

Grayson County TX Juvenile Detention Center – Visitation

Visiting your Child

Family members are encouraged to write letters to their child and visit them as often as they can. Before you visit your child, each family member must complete an application and consent to a criminal history check in order to be placed on the approved visitation list.

Get the Visitor Application in .pdf format, in English or en Español.

Family members who need financial assistance with transportation expenses to visit their child are encouraged to contact their Family Liaison.

POLICY:  The following procedures provide guidance to the juvenile supervision officer in conducting visitation with residents and visitors and the different variables that can occur before, during and after the visitation.     

• Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday – 2:30 through 4:30 p.m. 
• Sunday – 9:00 a.m. through 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 through 4:30

1.    ONLY parents, legal guardians, attorneys, probation officers, and ordained clergy are allowed to visit; all must present a valid picture I.D. prior to visiting.

2.    Visitation is set up by appointment only.  Approved visitors must call 24 hours in advance to schedule a visit;

3.    All personal possessions of the visitor must be left outside this facility; the visitor is not allowed to bring anything to the resident.

4.    All visitors are subject to metal detector searches;

5.    Residents must be on entry level or level 1 or 2 to visit.  Residents on room confinement/Restriction are not allowed visitation;

6.    Juvenile cannot accept anything from the visitor;

7.    Visits will last according to level juvenile is on. The Deputy Director, Shift Supervisor or Administrator must approve longer visits.  Juveniles can earn extra stars and extend their visit by 5 minutes.

8.    Visitation can be stopped at any time during visit if the visit becomes negative (i.e., arguing, fighting, etc.)

9.    Visitation can be refused by staff for the security of the facility;

10.    Visitation can be taken away permanently if anything is passed to a resident during the visit, if visitation creates a problem for the resident or if deemed necessary for the safety and security of the facility.