The Rhode Island Training School is the state's juvenile detention facility operated by the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). The facility houses juveniles committed by Family Court for serious offenses or repeated probation violations. Commitment to the Training School is the most serious juvenile disposition available, equivalent to adult incarceration in scope. Stays range from short-term assessment placements to commitment until age 21. Defense work focused on alternative dispositions (probation, treatment programs, community-based supervision) is critical to keeping juveniles out of the Training School. The conditions and consequences of Training School commitment can affect a juvenile's development for years.
