Buckbee Juvenile Release Boundary
The official WVDCR facility page describes J.M. “Chick” Buckbee Juvenile Center as a secure detention and commitment center for male residents. It serves all West Virginia counties. Its physical location in Hampshire County does not make each resident a Hampshire County case, and it does not turn the center into a local adult jail.
A youth may arrive under a juvenile court or Division of Juvenile Services process. Departure can lead to a parent or guardian, another secure or nonsecure placement, transfer, or an aftercare plan. Those possibilities must not be reduced to the adult terms “bonded out” or “released inmate.” The controlling order and authorized DJS record determine the event. Public adult tools cannot fill that role.
Do not enter a youth’s identity into an adult release list or request a public juvenile roster, photograph, or case file.
The correct question is whether the requester is entitled to information and which juvenile authority can lawfully provide it. A parent, guardian, lawyer, or other eligible party should use the contact on the court or DJS paperwork. A person without that relationship should not expect confirmation of the youth’s presence, departure date, destination, or case status.
Confirm a Buckbee Release
There is no researched public name search for J.M. Chick Buckbee Juvenile Center. The WVDCR Regional Jail OIS is built for the adult regional-jail system and should not be presented as a Buckbee locator. West Virginia VINE coverage for adult regional jails and state correctional facilities also does not justify promising a public juvenile result. An absent name in either system says nothing reliable about a youth.
- Read the juvenile court, DJS, or placement paperwork already provided to the authorized party.
- Identify the court and agency responsible for the youth, not merely the county where the facility sits.
- Call the facility main number for lawful routing without asking staff to disclose protected details to an unauthorized caller.
- Contact the youth’s attorney, guardian, assigned worker, or court office through established case channels.
- Use the exact event language supplied by the authority, such as transfer, return to guardian, placement change, or aftercare.
A court order can direct a placement change before the physical move occurs. For that reason, an order date should not automatically be labeled the departure date. The receiving placement may also have its own intake process. An authorized record should distinguish the legal direction from the actual movement and state what can be shared.
Note: A juvenile placement change is not an adult jail release and should not be compared with a public inmate roster update.
Buckbee Release Contact
The facility’s official contact is the sensible first route for an eligible caller who needs to identify the responsible DJS or court channel. Staff may limit what they confirm. That is an expected privacy boundary, not proof that the facility has lost a record. Callers should have the case information and relationship to the youth ready, while avoiding sensitive details in voicemail or ordinary email unless staff directs otherwise.
J.M. “Chick” Buckbee Juvenile Center144 Jerry Lane
Augusta, WV 26704
Main: 304-496-1341
Fax: 304-496-1475
Call to confirm the appropriate authorized contact and current hours.
The research does not identify a public release-record desk, public roster line, or general records hours for the center. Do not substitute a guessed business schedule. Nor should the Hampshire County Sheriff be treated as operator of this state juvenile facility. The sheriff can route questions about sheriff-created records, but DJS and the responsible juvenile court control the placement process.
When a public-record request is considered, first ask whether the requested material is public at all. Juvenile identities, photographs, court matters, and placement details carry strict access limits. A narrowly framed question about a facility’s general policy differs from a request for one youth’s file. If the custodian says the individual record is confidential, do not seek the same protected material through stale copies or third parties.
Buckbee Custody and Releases
WVDCR identifies Buckbee as a 24-bed facility with detention and commitment functions. Detention and commitment are different legal stages, but neither makes the resident an adult inmate. The center serves all 55 counties. Those sourced figures explain why the Augusta address alone cannot establish Hampshire County jurisdiction.
- Detention
- Secure juvenile custody while a court matter or placement decision remains pending.
- Commitment
- A court-directed juvenile placement under the state system.
- Aftercare
- A structured plan that may follow departure from secure placement.
- Authorized party
- A person legally entitled to receive case information, such as a guardian or lawyer in the matter.
These definitions are general routing aids. They do not determine one youth’s status. Only the responsible court and DJS records can do that. The public facility page supports the center’s role, address, capacity, and contact details, not the publication of resident identities or departure records.
Buckbee Versus Adult Releases
Hampshire County contains two state custody campuses with very different public paths. Potomac Highlands Regional Jail and Correctional Facility handles adult regional-jail and correctional custody. Buckbee handles juvenile detention and commitment. The adult facility has a statewide live OIS route and a release-report request path. Buckbee does not have a researched public resident lookup.
| Question | PHRJCF adult route | Buckbee juvenile route |
|---|---|---|
| Current public search | Regional Jail OIS, with limits | No public resident search promised |
| Departure proof | Release record plus court order | Authorized juvenile court or DJS record |
| Photograph | Adult OIS or lawful record request | Do not seek or publish as an adult mugshot |
| Destination | Community, transfer, or another authority | Guardian, placement, transfer, or aftercare as lawfully disclosed |
This comparison prevents a nearby adult search from being used to infer a juvenile status. It also protects adult records from being confused with the youth system. For adult release research, use the Potomac Highlands facility page. For Buckbee, stop at the authorized juvenile route.
Buckbee Hampshire County Context
Augusta is within Hampshire County, yet facility location and case origin are separate facts. The center’s statewide mission means a youth may come from any West Virginia county. A public statement should not call a resident a Hampshire County youth based only on the street address. Court documents available to an authorized party establish the originating jurisdiction.
The Hampshire County court information page lists local court contacts, but it does not create a public juvenile search. A caller should use it only when existing paperwork shows that Hampshire County is the responsible court and the caller has lawful standing. The clerk can explain procedure without disclosing protected case facts.
The Sheriff’s old-jail history adds another useful boundary. The historic Romney jail is no longer an operating detention site. Neither that building nor the sheriff’s main office should be substituted for Buckbee. Current facility questions go to the Augusta center and the responsible DJS or court channel.
Buckbee Release Record Limits
Public-record law does not erase specific confidentiality rules. West Virginia FOIA contains exemptions, and juvenile material can be restricted by other law and court practice. A request for general facility facts, such as the official address or stated capacity, is different from asking for a named youth’s custody status, photo, medical information, family details, assessment, or destination.
Safe public copy should explain the route without exposing the child. Do not publish a name, image, alleged conduct, release date, or placement based on a rumor or adult database. Do not treat the lack of a public result as an error. When an authorized source provides a term, quote it accurately and avoid turning “transfer” into “release.”
If immediate safety is at issue, use emergency services. Routine questions about a youth’s placement belong with the authorized case contacts. This division respects both the need for family and legal communication and the center’s duty to protect juvenile information.
Record corrections should follow the same protected route. An authorized person who sees an error in case paperwork should identify the exact document, date, and disputed item to the responsible court, lawyer, or DJS contact. Posting the youth’s name or document online does not correct an official record and can expose confidential details. The facility can route a caller, but the office that created the record is normally the one that can explain or amend it.