Residential Services
Matt Koch, Director
Phone: (440) 326-4002
WELLNESS POLICY Rev. 2026
Introduction
The Lorain County Detention Home is a 24-hour secure facility housing juvenile offenders up to age 21. Licensed by the Ohio Department of Youth Services, the Detention Home operates under the Ohio Administrative Code and Ohio Supreme Court standards. Judges and magistrates determine if secure detention is appropriate by using a Detention Screening Tool that assesses a youth’s offense severity, court history, community risk, and flight risk. Youth may be held in detention for up to 90 days for each charge.
The Detention Home has 44 beds, with 28 for males and 16 for females in individual rooms. The facility has indoor and outdoor recreational areas, a meal service program, two classrooms, and a medical team. The Detention Home employs 35 staff, as well as relief workers. Full-time employees include a Director, Superintendent, four Shift Supervisors, four Control Room Clerks, 26 Juvenile Detention Officers, two full-time nurses, one Maintenance Supervisor, one Maintenance Worker, and one Intake Specialist. The minimum staff-to-youth ratios are 12:1 during daytime hours and 25:1 during nighttime hours.
During admission, youth undergo a mental health screening, watch a PREA video, receive orientation, and are given a 10-minute phone call to their custodian. The Detention Home has a contracted Medical Director and employs a nursing staff that is available 24 hours a day. The nursing staff provide physical exams for admitted youth, respond to medical emergencies, manage medications, and triage sick calls and youth medical needs.
The Court contracts with Applewood Centers for crisis and ongoing mental health care with 24/7 access. The mental health team creates safety plans, provides crisis care, offers therapeutic services, and make referrals for ongoing mental health services. The Court contracts with the Lorain County Educational Service Center to provide three full-time educators with a focus on state proficiency testing. They provide curriculum and coordinate educational plans with all local school districts. There are 25 individual computers to support youth learning.
The Detention Home encourages programming to promote the development of youths’ thinking and life skills. Youth who reside in the Detention Home are offered group therapy, cognitive behavioral programming, artistic expression outlets, and non-denominational religious services. Special guests are often scheduled to provide information about local services and opportunities that support youth re-entry into the community. Visitation with parents and custodians via in-person, video, and phone options are permitted on Saturday and Sunday. Attorneys, clergy, and community providers may visit youth during normal business hours.
Visitation Schedule
In Person Visits
Girls A-Z 9:00 am – 9:20 am
Boys A-G 9:30 am – 9:50 am
Boys H-N 10:00 am – 10:20 am
Boys O-Z 10:30 am- 10:50 am
Teleconference visits
Zoom teleconference visits are scheduled from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm in 20-minute increments on Saturday and Sunday. Zoom visits must be scheduled in advance. Parents/Custodians are required to schedule through the Lorain County Detention Home Control Room Clerk. Parents/Custodians must reserve a time slot by Friday at 8:00 pm for the upcoming weekend. Space is limited and time slots are filled on a first come first serve basis.
(440-326-4041)
Professional staff may contact (440) 326-4040 to schedule an individual appointment.
Detention Home Phone Calls
Residents are permitted a 10-minute phone call on Saturdays and Sundays based on last name and the following:
(Last name A-M) Phone calls are permitted on Saturdays if the resident did not receive an in-person or ZOOM visit.
(Last name N-Z) Phone calls are permitted on Sundays if the resident did not receive an in-person or ZOOM visit.
Reporting Concerns Regarding the Detention Home
In the event a member from the community has concerns regarding the Detention Home they may contact Director, Matthew Koch at 440-326-4002. In the event the concern cannot be resolved, the matter will be referred by the Director to Administration.
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
- mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or - fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or - email:
[email protected]
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.