What Happens When a Juvenile Is Detained in Van Buren County: The Screening Process and What the Scores Mean

Van Buren County requires a detention screening using the MJJAS/OYAS-DET - a tool identified by the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) - before any juvenile can be held in a secure facility. In plain terms: the county must run this screening before deciding whether secure detention is even an option.

The screening is supposed to happen face-to-face with the youth. The exception: emergencies or after-hours situations, when staff may conduct the screening by phone. If you hear that a phone screening was done, that's the narrow circumstance the policy allows.

The screening places a youth into one of three categories: low risk, moderate risk, or high risk. That score guides what happens next - but it's not the only factor. County policy also requires the Court to weigh the factors in MCR 3.935(D) when deciding whether to hold a juvenile in secure detention.

A low-risk score generally points toward release, not detention. Under Van Buren County policy, a youth who scores low risk should be released to their parent or guardian. The policy also notes that staff can share community resources with you - helpful if the underlying issue is school conflict, mental health needs, or family stress rather than an immediate safety concern.

A moderate-risk score is where county policy most clearly pushes for something other than detention. Van Buren County says alternatives should be prioritized - especially when there's no immediate risk to the youth or the community. This is the point to ask: "What can we put in place right now so they can go home or stay somewhere safe without being locked up?"

A high-risk score can support secure detention - county policy says the youth may be detained at that level. Even so, the score isn't the whole decision. Van Buren County's policy still requires the Court to weigh the MCR 3.935(D) factors before ordering secure detention.

Alternatives

• ✓ Placement with a family friend or relative
• ✓ Electronic monitoring
• ✓ Home detention
• ✓ Community mental health services

The screening doesn't just happen and disappear - it's documented. Van Buren County requires the results to be recorded in Youth Center, including the reason for any override. Those results (and any override explanation) go to the referee or judge before any hearing on whether the youth will be detained.

1. Ask what tool was used - Confirm the MJJAS/OYAS-DET detention screening was completed before any decision about secure detention.
2. Ask how the screening was done - If it was by phone, ask whether it was an emergency or after-hours situation (those are the exceptions in county policy).
3. Pin down the score category - Find out whether the result was low, moderate, or high risk, because that category is tied to what the county says should happen next.
4. If the score is low, ask about release plans - The policy expectation is release to a parent/guardian, and you can also ask what community resources may be available.
5. If the score is moderate, ask for specific alternatives - Bring up options like placement with family/friends, electronic monitoring, home detention, or community mental health services and ask what can be put in place immediately.
6. If anyone overrides the recommendation, ask that it be documented - County policy calls for the override reason to be recorded and provided to the referee or judge before a detention hearing.
7. Make sure counsel sees the screening record - Ask that the screening results (and any override reason) be shared with your child’s attorney so they can address it at the hearing.