The Mountain View Youth Services Center (MVYSC) in Denver, CO, is a co-ed “multi-purpose” facility housing 10 to 20-year-old youthful offenders, including those with diagnosed mental health issues. Mountain View residents include detainees awaiting adjudication as well as those convicted of a Colorado juvenile offense.
The secure Mountain View detention facility is one of 10 similar residential juvenile detention centers included in Colorado’s 2017 “reform” movement for juvenile corrections. This November, 2018 article details the state’s ongoing concerns with the juvenile justice system.
MVYSC is located on 22 acres in the unincorporated southeast Jefferson County area. The address and phone number are:
7862 West Mansfield Pkwy
Denver, CO 80235
Phone: (303) 987-4525
Provided by our team of Colorado criminal defense lawyers, the following information may be of benefit to family and friends of young detainees at Mountain View juvenile hall:
- 1. Intake, Assessment, Transfer
- 2. How to Contact Your Loved One
- 3. MVYSC Visitation
- 4. About the Facility
- 5. Criminal Defense
1. After an Arrest…
Once your child or teenager is taken into custody at the Mountain View detention center, he or she can expect to have a detention hearing before a judge. This hearing should occur within 48 hours of arrest, but weekends and holidays will delay the timeline. A First or Fifth District judge will look at the allegation(s) and criminal history to determine whether your loved one will be released or further detained. Rarely, depending on the nature of the charges, a transfer to adult court is possible.
2. Contact Policies for Family
Initially, all Mountain View detainees are allowed to make two phone calls — to a parent or guardian and/or to a criminal lawyer. For long-term residents, incoming calls are permitted for approved family members, and youth are provided opportunities to make local or collect calls.
Contact is also encouraged through mailed correspondence. All juveniles are provided with postage to send out two weekly letters. Although mail is inspected for contents, it will not generally be read by staff unless there is a security/safety concern.
3. Detention Center Visitation
Upon admission to the Mountain View detention center, arrestees are allowed an initial visit by a parent or guardian, with efforts made to accommodate scheduling needs. Subsequently, all visits must be scheduled in advance through the Mount View Control Center: (303) 987-4502. Visits take place in a private (but supervised) room, and contact is allowed.
Visitation varies according to the holding pod and the resident’s progress within the MWYSC program. For detained or committed youth in buildings 55 and 56, visiting hours are daily, and weekly 30-minute visits are allowed. The hours are:
Monday through Friday evenings: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Special visits may be permitted on a case by case basis. These might accommodate those who are not primary family members or who cannot come in during regular visiting hours. Hour-long visits may be allowed in some cases, such as for family members traveling 100 miles round trip to visitation appointments.
For juveniles committed for a MVYSC treatment program, visiting days are Saturday and Sunday only, with 30 to 60-minute visits scheduled every 14 days.
In all cases, the number of visits may increase with progress in the program. Note that all youth are strip-searched after visits are complete.
4. The MVYSC Program
The Mountain View detention facility provides medical and psychiatric services, as well as individual and group counseling. Minors are often transported in to MVYSC from other Colorado districts. The facility provides juvenile assessment services for 46 counties. Initial assessments at the Mountain View juvenile hall are completed by a multi-disciplinary team using Colorado Juvenile Risk Assessment (CJRA) criteria.
For committed youth, a Family Orientation Group is offered. The facility administers a “Next Step” program for youth who have returned to custody after they were placed on juvenile parole or in other transition services. A behavior management program, “P.E.A.K.,” is used to provide positive reinforcement for juveniles via advancement through a level-based reward system.
Academic classes are provided onsite through the Jefferson County Public School system, and teens can work to obtain a diploma or GED. Vocational and work programs are also offered to selected youth. Weekly nondenominational religious services are available, as well as outdoor recreational activities.
Three meals plus snacks are provided daily, and special dietary needs can be accommodated. (Note that requests for special diet needs should be received within 24 hours of initial intake.)
5. Justice for Juveniles
If your child or teen has been taken into custody at Mountain View, our team of criminal defense attorneys are here to help. We have assisted many similarly affected Colorado families, and we can often make a difference in a tough situation. Whether for a juvenile crime or worse, we can help you fight the charges, secure the right kind of help, and avoid potentially damaging penalties. Our lawyers can also assist with expunging a juvenile record in Colorado. For a free consultation, please contact our Colorado juvenile crimes defense lawyers today.