The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice serves the state's young offenders up to the age of 21. Each day, at 26 facilities and 92 court services offices throughout the state, more than 4,000 DJJ employees work to effect justice and teach young people to take responsibility for their delinquent conduct. At the same time, DJJ seeks to protect the victims of crimes so that they can rebuild their lives.
Find the address and phone number for your local RYDC.
Depending on the severity of the offense, the juvenile court could dismiss your child's charge after an informal probation period; assign them a longer probation period and require that they meet its terms, such as working community service hours; or order a general commitment, which means that their legal custody is transferred to the State of Georgia for a period of no more than two years so that DJJ can plan their treatment and rehabilitation. More serious offenses than these could result in a commitment of five years. A DJJ Screening Committee will meet within ten working days of a judge's decision for commitment to determine where your child will go for treatment and rehabilitation.
DJJ does all it can to place children close to their families. It's likely that your child has been placed at the next nearest facility because either they need particular services that aren't available at the closest facility or because the closest facility is at capacity.