In American
criminal justice systems a
youth detention center, also known as a
juvenile detention center (
JDC),
juvenile hall or, more colloquially as
juvy, is a secure residential facility for young people, often termed
juvenile delinquents, awaiting court hearings and/or placement in long-term care facilities and programs. Juveniles go through a separate court system, the
juvenile court, which sentences or commits juveniles to a certain program or facility.