While juveniles who commit serious offenses are generally placed in detention or confinement facilities to protect the public and allow youths to receive more intensive supervision, many facilities direct juveniles who commit status offenses or pose a low risk to the community to receive alternative services and maintain positive ties between the juvenile and his or her family and community.

Home Detention is a community-based program designed to restrict the activities of offenders in the community. With home confinement, offenders live at home, attend school or work, and fulfill other necessary responsibilities; however, they are closely monitored (electronically, or through frequent contact with staff, or both) to ensure that they comply with the conditions that the court has set. Offenders must maintain this strict schedule, leaving their residences only for essential activities, for varying lengths of time depending on the case.

Shelter care is an alternative that offers non-secure residential care for youths who need short-term placement (that is, for 1 to 30 days) outside the home. Shelter care is an option for youth who require more supervision than nonresidential options, as well as for youth who need placement because no parent or family member can provide a residence. Youth have a daily schedule of structured educational and recreational activities. 

These programs afford us the opportunity to maintain supervision of these youth while minimizing the disruption of the youth's education, employment, and their engagement with their family and community.