Harris County law enforcement officers may take a juvenile to one of two 24-hour intake units of the Juvenile Probation Department, which are located at CRC and the Juvenile Detention Center. Intake Screening is responsible for assessing immediate circumstances and deciding if the youth is to be detained or released. When a youth is thought to present a threat to self or to the community or is likely to run away and not return for a court appearance, the youth will be held in detention. The goal of Progressive Sanction Guidelines used by the department is to increase penalties and supervision if a child repeatedly commits offenses. Level I offenses such as truancy, runaway and curfew violations and Class C misdemeanors such as alcohol violations are handled by CRC.

Intake Screening provides pre-adjudication supervision for those juveniles who are released at the Intake level pending court action. Weekly contact, curfew checks and school visits that monitor the youth's compliance are reported to the court. Programs such as Parents Who Care, Turning Point and the LAW program are available to families. In addition, Intake Screening diverts about 10 per cent of youth by telephone screening with law enforcement; decisions made after arriving at the Detention Center in custody or by referral to the Chimney Rock Center.

For mental health issues, Intake Screening makes referrals by telephone at all times and those in custody youths are referred to the neuro-psychiatric center to address their immediate psychiatric needs.