Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Center TX Recent Arrests and Bookings (2024)

Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Center Recent Bookings & Arrests

How do I find out if someone has been arrested and booked into the Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Center?

To find out if someone you know has been recently arrested and booked into the Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Center, call the jail’s booking line at 361-575-0399.

There may be an automated method of looking them up by their name over the phone, or you may be directed to speak to someone at the jail. Sometimes the jail staff may ask you the offender’s date of birth to ensure privacy of the offender’s status.

Keep in mind that after an arrest, the information on an offender may not be publicly available for several hours.

If you don’t want to check up on an offender by calling the jail, you can also try looking up people recently booked online.

What happens during booking in Victoria County?

After being arrested and taken into custody, and after being read their Miranda Rights, an offender will next be transported to the local police or department or the Sheriff’s Department in Victoria County for booking.

Booking is very involved and requires multiple steps in the process, however, keep in mind that most attorneys will advise that an offender remain silent and not offer any additional information about the crime they have been arrested for because anything they do say may be recorded and may very well be used against them in court.

What is the booking process like at the Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Center?

Booking includes having their photo (mugshot) and fingerprints taken, as well as being asked a lot of questions about their personal history and state of mind. If it’s a serious felony, their DNA may also be taken. They will also be checked for warrants in Victoria County and other Texas and USA jurisdictions.

If the offender was arrested for a DUI offense, and has refused a breathalyzer test, they may also be forced to have blood drawn by a doctor or nurse.

It is also very likely that the offender will undergo a humiliating full body search while in the nude. This includes bending over, spreading their cheeks in the direction of an officer, and coughing. They will also be walked through a metal detector or x-ray machine, like those used at an airport.

What kind of questions are asked during booking?

The arresting jurisdiction will ask about gang affiliations, tattoos, medical conditions, prescribed medication they are taking, recreational drugs they are on or addicted to, allergies, if they are suicidal, and other relevant information that will help with determining their cell assignment and special needs.

What happens to an offender’s personal property during booking?

During the arrest and booking process an offender will also have all their personal property confiscated and held for either their release from jail, or with the offender’s approval, released to a friend or family member.

Personal property includes the clothing they are wearing, money, wallets, purses, cell phones, jewelry, body rings, earrings, watches, and even glasses if they are deemed a security risk. If they are allowed to keep their shoes or sneakers, the laces are removed.

What happens after booking?

At this point the offender will be allowed to make a free phone call to a person of their choice to notify them of their arrest, and/or arrange a bond or bail for their release.

If the offender is being detained and housed while awaiting arraignment, the Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Center will provide a jail garment and slip-on shoes, a blanket, sheets, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a towel.

Often, before they are dressed in the jail outfit and brought to their housing location, they will be forced to take a shower and undergo a disinfectant treatment for body and hair lice, scabies or other pests that may be residing on their person.

How long does the Victoria Regional Juvenile Justice Center Booking process take?

Booking can take anywhere from an hour to 24 hours or more. It all depends on the number of people that are awaiting processing, the number of staff on duty at the time, and the behavior of the offender.

If the offender is heavily intoxicated and/or violent, the Booking Officer may decide to stick the offender in a holding cell for several hours until they become more manageable.

FAQs

A law enforcement officer may take a juvenile into custody if there is probable cause to believe that the juvenile violated a criminal law, engaged in delinquent conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision, or violated a court-ordered condition of probation.

Schools at TJJD operate year-round educational programs for youth up through age 19 who've been committed to TJJD secure facilities. Middle school youth are placed in grade-appropriate courses.

Some of the more common juvenile offenses include: theft, larceny, alcohol offenses, disturbing the peace, drug offenses, vandalism, assault, robbery, criminal trespass, harassment, fraud, burglary, loitering, possession of stolen property, possession of weapons and crimes committed on behalf of gangs.

Once the arrested child reaches the juvenile detention facility, Texas laws dictate that they are still not able to be kept there indefinitely until the juvenile court date. Every 10 days the child must appear before the court for another detention hearing to prove that their continued detention is still necessary.

Punishment for Juvenile Crimes in Texas

In other serious cases, the state can seek a determinate sentence, which allows the juvenile's punishment to be transferred to the adult criminal justice system once they age out of the juvenile system. The maximum punishment for a determinate sentence is 40 years.

Individuals convicted of a capital felony committed under the age of 18 in Texas are now subject to mandatory life sentences with the possibility of parole after 40 years.

A youth from the ages of 10 to 16 can be charged in juvenile court for criminal offenses in Texas. If a child is determined to have “engaged in delinquent conduct” then the child will either be given probation or put in a juvenile facility in most cases.

Here's the scoop: parents don't get to decide who goes to juvenile detention. That's up to the juvenile court judge. If your child gets in trouble with the law (think beyond the usual teenage eye-rolling; we're talking serious offenses), they might end up in court.

If a minor is detained in a juvenile hall, a detention hearing must be held within 48 hours of their arrest. At this hearing, a judge will determine if the minor can be released to the parents or other responsible adult or remain in custody.

Juvenile justice court cases start with the filing of a petition. The Probation Department or the District Attorney can file the petition. A petition asks the court to get involved. It says what the state thinks the youth did.

An officer who takes a statement from a juvenile must decide if he wants to take a recorded or a written statement. The best option is for officers to record a juvenile's statement with an audio or video recorder because it provides the best evidence for a judge or jury in court.