Public Safety

Get an Inside Look at Juvenile Hall

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UPDATE: Due to a regional wildfire emergency, the Juvenile Hall Open House, set for May 17, will be rescheduled.

Your child is going to Juvenile Hall. But it’s OK on Saturday, May 17, as part of the San Diego County Probation Department’s annual Juvenile Hall Open House, which serves as a reality check on the consequences of delinquency.

Probation officials will lead the free tours through the juvenile justice system, starting in a courtroom and then through the court tunnel to the living quarters where youth spend their days and nights. The public is welcome, and youth groups, parents and children are encouraged to come out. Tours start at 9 a.m. and continue through 1 p.m. at the Juvenile Detention Facility, 2801 Meadow Lark Drive in Kearny Mesa.

Juvenile Hall houses pre-teenagers, teens and young adults who have committed a range of offenses from vandalism and theft to drug and alcohol violations to serious violent acts. The public will not see any of the youth being held at Juvenile Hall during the tour, but they will get a glimpse of what life is like for those being held at Juvenile Hall.

RELATED: Take Your Kids to Juvenile Hall

Probation Department groups and community partners will host a resource and informational booth fair outside Juvenile Hall to help steer youth toward positive life choices.

Yvette Urrea Moe is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office. Contact