VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Concern grows among parents and some national leaders about the health and safety of young people housed in juvenile detention centers during the coronavirus pandemic.   


What You Need To Know

  • Concerns growing over COVID-19 exposure at juvenile detention centers
  • 6 confirmed cases among juveniles at Volusia Regional Detention Center 
  • Department of Juvenile Justice being asked to take closer look at the issue

State officials maintain that they are doing everything they can to keep the youth in this facility and the others around the state safe during this pandemic.  

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice reports there are six confirmed COVID-19 cases among juveniles at Volusia Regional Detention Center and another four confirmed cases among employees. 

The DJJ said the youth in the facility are monitored and screened if they begin to exhibit coronavirus symptoms, they would then be isolated and a health professional notified.   

Just this week, the topic of health and safety in juvenile detention centers has caught the attention of several senators, saying some facilities have “an alarming rate of infection” 

Officials are calling on the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to answer several questions about its guidance to the nation’s facilities, which includes  preventative protocols, sanitation measures and medical screening and testing.  

And because of those positive cases here they’ve stopped accepting new admissions until further notice.  

Any new admissions are being rerouted to a nearby facility.   

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