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What Your Teen Can Access at Doña Ana Juvenile Detention: education, recreation, library, and housing

If your teen is being held at Doña Ana's juvenile facility, you're probably wondering what daily life looks like inside—school, supervision, housing, and how they spend their time. Here's a practical breakdown of what the county says is available.

• 2 min read • donaana.gov
What Your Teen Can Access at Doña Ana Juvenile Detention: education, recreation, library, and housing

Doña Ana County's juvenile detention facility holds up to 50 beds. It opened in 2001, and operates as a smaller, separate unit within the broader detention center system.

The facility has five housing units, each designed for ten juveniles. This setup shapes how staff organize daily routines and movement.

Four units follow the same layout: a dayroom, eight single-person cells, and one two-person cell. The fifth unit is different - it has ten single-person cells, a dayroom, and a small outdoor recreation area. This unit can serve as maximum-security or special-management housing when needed.

Direct supervision: Detention officers are stationed inside the housing unit dayrooms, where they directly supervise and observe juveniles and their daily activities.

School happens on-site through Las Cruces Public School District. Two full-time teachers provide classes, with the goal of helping teens keep up with their education and earn credits toward graduation while detained.

Programs Amenities

  • ✓ Recreational activities
  • ✓ Commissary
  • ✓ Library
What Your Teen Can Access at Doña Ana Juvenile Detention: education, recreation, library, and housing

Need more detail than what's publicly available - like written policies or program schedules? New Mexico's Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) gives you the right to request county records. Doña Ana County has an online portal for this at https://www.donaana.gov/ipra.

  1. Start with the county’s IPRA portal - Doña Ana County directs requesters to submit public records requests at https://www.donaana.gov/ipra.
  2. Be specific about what you’re asking for - For example, you can request records related to education services, library access, commissary procedures, or recreation opportunities.
  3. Submit your request as a public-records request - Under New Mexico’s Inspection of Public Records Act, every person has the right to inspect Doña Ana County public records.

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