Division of Secure Facilities 2025

Regional Youth Detention Centers (RYDCs) are secure, short-term facilities for youth who are awaiting court hearings, placement in the community, or transfer to long-term facilities for youthful offenders.

In 2025, the department began operating two RYDCs (Wilkes and Cadwell) as transition and reintegration facilities.

The Wilkes RYDC focuses on providing youth with education, training, and essential life skills. Additionally, youth have the opportunity to participate in treatment-based programming, which includes individual, group, and family counseling sessions.

The Cadwell RYDC now offers a short-term therapeutic intervention program designed for youth with low to moderate risks of behavioral issues. This program addresses individual risk factors contributing to delinquent behavior and promotes positive personal development through a cognitive-behavioral approach.

Overall, the 19 RYDCs provide quality medical care, educational services, behavioral health support, nutritional services, and general programming for the youth in their care.

The Youth Development Campuses (YDC) are designed for young individuals who have been placed in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to receive long-term services and treatment.

Each YDC adheres to departmental policies and procedures that comply with federal and state laws, as well as professional standards. The campuses offer a range of youth services, including education, health and mental health care, food services, resident counseling, substance abuse programs, vocational training, and family visitation, among other benefits.

The Office of Classification and Transportation Services (OCATS) is responsible for ensuring that youth are appropriately screened for placement, classified according to risk and need, and are safely and securely transported.

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OBHS is committed to ensuring that youth receive the services they need and manages and administers the behavioral health service program in all DJJ facilities. These services include: mental health, general counseling and case management, sexually harmful behaviors treatment, and substance abuse treatment.

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Juvenile Justice Health Services was established through a unique collaboration between Augusta University Health System and the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice with the goal of delivering high quality health services to the state of Georgia’s justice-involved youth in 25 facilities.

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The Office of Nutrition and Food Services (ONFS) is responsible for meeting the nutritional and dietary needs of youth housed in DJJ facilities.  This goal is accomplished by providing continuous education, training and support for the food services staff, menu design and distribution and nutrition education information.

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The Office of Victim Services will deliver with compassion, a continuum of comprehensive services that promote victims' rights and supports statewide victim services programs through the delivery of timely, accurate and informative services.

The DJJ Volunteer Services Program Mission is to recruit, retain and promote volunteers dedicated to providing an array of DJJ youth services. The volunteers will help motivate and empower our youth to become productive and law-abiding citizens in their communities.

The Office of Chaplaincy Services supports the Department of Juvenile Justice's mission by ensuring First Amendment Rights to religious freedom, expression, and resources, including Pastoral Care to youth and staff through spiritual guidance, support, crisis intervention, and religious education.

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