The Polk Juvenile Detention Center is where troubled teenagers go to wait for trial. It's where they go when they've been accused of breaking the law.

But a federal lawsuit in Tampa this week alleges no child is safe behind the center's doors.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which filed the claim, wants a judge to force Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd to change policies.

"They allow all sorts of incidents to happen in a juvenile center that shouldn’t happen," said Tania Galloni, lawyer with the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Galloni points to the use of pepper spray and shock shields on teens she said haven't even been convicted of a crime yet. She said more than 180 teens have been pepper sprayed in the last two years.

"Most people are offended when they hear children are being treated this way when they're in the custody of a public entity, a sheriff’s office. Most people are horrified when they hear the abuse committed there," said Galloni.

But Judd said they're not children, they're young criminals. He has one word for the federal lawsuit:

"Baloney. We've got the worst of the worst, the most violent of the most violent, the most dangerous of the most dangerous," said Judd.

Judd said pepper spray is a necessary tool to keep wayward teens from hurting themselves and his detention staff.

"Their conduct is so violent. We have a choice. We can go fist to fist and fight them on a concrete floor, or if they don’t listen to us, we can spray them with pepper spray and nobody gets hurt. What do you think's best?" said Judd.

A federal judge will make the final decision after hearing testimony from both sides over the next month. The suit isn't asking for money, only for change inside the detention facility.

But Judd isn't budging. He said his current policies are working and keeping everyone safe.

Judd also adds keeping the teens under the watch of his agency saves Polk County taxpayers millions. He says it's almost a third cheaper to house them at the detention center compared to keeping the teens with the Department of Juvenile Justice.

A judge will issue a final order on the case before the end of the year.