Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility

The Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility is a mixed-custody facility for male juvenile offenders that is located in Omaha, Nebraska. This facility houses inmates up until the age of 21 years, 10 months. 

The buildings at NCYF encompass approximately 54,000 square feet. ​Custody and Unit Management are major operational areas with a focus on management, programming, and discipline that protects staff, inmates, and the public. 

Inmates have the opportunity to participate in a variety of recreational activities seven days a week. Youthful offenders may apply to participate in community custody programs to include work detail, work release, or education release. 

All male offenders sentenced by county and district courts of the state of Nebraska are received at the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center (DEC) in Lincoln. At DEC, individuals are assigned an inmate number, photographed, fingerprinted, and they provide a DNA sample. All DEC intake procedures apply upon arrival.

After completion of DEC intake activities, youthful offenders are immediately transferred to NCYF. Upon arrival at NCYF, the youthful offender completes additional in-processing documents, receives an initial medical screening, assigned a room, receives his clothing and bedding, and any personal property brought with him is inventoried. Following a 30-day orientation period, individuals are placed in the general population.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours at the Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility are as follows: 

GENERAL POPULATION
Friday               5:30pm - 8:00pm
Saturday          12:30pm - 3:30pm, 5:30pm - 8:00pm
Sunday             12:30pm - 3:30pm, 5:30pm - 8:00pm

SPECIAL MANAGEMENT UNIT VISITING HOURS
Monday          1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

SAFEKEEPERS / 90-DAY EVALUATORS / ORIENTATION VISITING HOURS
Friday            1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

PROTECTIVE CUSTODY VISITING HOURS
Monday        5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Inmates are allowed two visiting sessions per week (Friday-Monday). They may only attend one visiting session per day.

Dress Code

Casual attire is appropriate, and clothing should not be distracting or offensive to inmates or to other visitors and must be in good repair. Clothing that is tight fitting (clothing will be considered tight fitting if it reveals the outline of genitalia or the areola), revealing, or made of see-through fabric is not allowed.

Shorts or skirts must be below the knee when standing/sitting. Shirts and dresses must cover the shoulders. Clothing with pictures, symbols, or language that may be considered profane or offensive by current public standards is not allowed. Tops of clothing shall be no lower than the collarbone in the front and back.

Clothes will be expected to be in good repair with no rips, tears, or pockets that are torn to allow access beneath the garment. 

Shoes are required to be worn at all times, and open toe shoes are allowed. A lightweight outer jacket/sweater without any pockets may be worn in the visiting area. 

Visitors must wear undergarments, but they can’t wear multiple layers of undergarments. Females must wear one bra and one pair of underwear (10 years of age or under are not required to wear a bra). Males must wear one pair of underwear/undershorts. 

Visitors are not allowed to wear a combination of both khaki colored pants and a shirt at the same time when they visit. A visitor may wear khaki pants or a khaki shirt but never at the same time when visiting. 

Hats, headbands, hooded clothing, or outerwear are not allowed. Clergy are permitted to wear religious headwear. Watches, exercise trackers, and similar devices are not permitted. 

Children, 10 years or younger, may be allowed to visit if wearing shorts, skirts, or rompers. 

Visitor Items

Visitors are permitted the following items in the visiting room/area: 

• Heart and asthma medication in the original container. Other medication may not be taken into the visiting area without approval. 
• Parents with infants may bring in two, factory sealed, single-serving, ready-to-feed formula or two clear bottles (no glass), four disposable diapers, eight wet wipes inside a clear bag, one receiving blanket, and one plastic teething instrument.
• Each visitor may bring up to $20.00 in change for use in the vending machines 

All other personal property must be secured in your vehicle or in lockers provided by the facility.

How to Call an Inmate

How to Send Money

Programs For Inmates

In addition to the Special Purpose High School courses, GED, and college classes, NCYF offers programs in the following areas:

• Vocational Training in Landscaping/Horticulture and Food Service
• Religion
• Recreation
• Life Skills
• Victim Impact
• Dog Handling
• Thinking for a Change
• 7 Habits on the Inside
• Mentor Partnerships
• The WaY Writing Program

Clinical Treatment

• Aggression Replacement Therapy (ART): promotes the development of prosocial behavior and the reduction of violent behavior in chronically aggressive adolescents.
• Anger Management High Risk/Need: available to individuals demonstrating high risk/high needs related to anger. This treatment provides instruction and practice on basic anger control strategies in a group facilitated by clinicians.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Anxiety Group: provides treatment for individuals suffering from anxiety symptoms.
• Depression Group (CBT): This cognitive behavioral therapy group provides treatment for individuals suffering from depression.
• ExPLORE: Exercises in Principled Living for Offender Reentry (ExPLORE) was developed to assist incarcerated individuals as they transition back to the community as happy and successful citizens. ExPLORE is designed to address the effects of “cognitive arrest,” or the idea that one's cognitive development is halted when one is arrested/incarcerated.

Non-Clinical Programs

• 7 Habits on the InsideNon-Clinical Programs: Developed by FranklinCovey in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Corrections, 7 Habits on the Inside uses the principles of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, tailored for the incarcerated individual. The program seeks to empower individuals to manage their own lives in such a way as to be successful in prison and in the community. 
• Living Skills: This program provides individuals living in the Special Management Unit with life skills which assists an inmate learn to make the appropriate behavioral changes necessary to transfer back to the general population. 
• Thinking for a Change: a high-level cognitive behavioral program developed by the National Institute of Corrections. The program uses role playing to concentrate on changing the criminogenic thinking of offenders.
• Victim Impact: This program emphasizes participant accountability and understanding of how the participant's behavior has impacted the victim.

Education Programs

• Adult Basic Education: assists adult incarcerated students work toward high school equivalency, or refresh skills regardless of diploma status.
• High School: NDCS operates its own school district with a high school. Students of all ages may attend high school classes. All juvenile offenders who have not graduated from high school are required to be in school. 

Pro-Social Activities

• Art Class: On a monthly basis, NCYF's art class allows inmates to express their feelings and emotions through art. A theme is given and art supplies are provided.
• Art Therapy For General Population: Provides instruction in art techniques to promote emotional awareness. 
• Body Masters Fitness: Participants are provided with nutrition and fitness training.
• Chess Class: On a monthly basis a volunteer comes to conduct a chess class. Chess teaches strategy, long term goal setting, and persistence under the guidance and role modeling of a patient teacher.
• Community Choir: Elementary and high school choir teachers from the community volunteer to teach vocal techniques, usually in preparation for an event, such as a talent show, NCYF High School graduation, or a volunteer appreciation ceremony.
• Community Service Projects: Participants remove stamps from envelopes for the Alliance Stamp Ministries to purchase Bibles overseas. Coupons are also cut and given to veterans/service members to use at the commissary.
• Keyboard/Guitar: Lessons are provided three times per week and assist in learning and perfecting a skill that takes discipline and persistence.
• Mentoring Program: Incarcerated individuals are partnered with a community mentor where they are given advice and do an activity together on a weekly basis. The mentors assist inmates in preparing them for their roles as productive citizens in the areas of jobs, housing, family, and values.
• Reconnect - Pass It On: Helps participants serving 15 years to life, develop peer mentors in prison to help them serve their sentences productively.  
• Religious Classes and activities: Variety of classes, workshops, and religious services designed to help inmates with support and spiritual development.
• Sports/Recreation Activities: A variety of activities that encourage health pastimes are offered at all facilities. Please check with recreational specialists for more information.
• Stamp Cutting and Coupon Cutting: teaches about philatelic (stamp collecting) activities and materials. The stamps themselves go to community service  projects such as to purchase Bibles for under developed countries and to help veterans. 
• Volunteer Nebraska Community Service Projects: encourage inmates to help others. Participants are given four community services opportunities each year.

Vocational/Life Skills Programs

• Financial Literacy: Course offered by Mutual of Omaha educate so participants can understand finances.
• Health Course: This program, delivered by a wellness expert, provides workshops on preventative health education and nutrition, such as Men's Birth Control; Date Abuse; Bullying; Gender Boxes; Hygiene.
• Heartland Workforce Development: The course assists youth in preparing for a career and job seeking.
• Inner Circle/Winner Circle: Presentations provided by former inmates of NDCS, or inmates in the community explaining the struggles they experienced on their journey through NDCS.
• Launch Leadership: Program designed to build leadership skills based upon communication.
• Reconnect Workshop: Workshop including movie and discussion.
• ReConnect: Final Number: Helps participants learn to make better choices and examine thinking patterns, preparing them to take advantage of opportunities in prison that will help them succeed.
• Resume class Omaha Library: The Omaha Public Library provides resume classes to help incarcerated individuals prepare for employment searches and interviews.

Pictures of Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility

Careers at Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility

If you are interested in a career with the Nebraska Department of Corrections at the Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility, you can find out more information by clicking here.