Types of Juvenile
Case Handling
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Non Judicial Handling is
used for first or second time summons/referrals for minor
delinquency or FWSN charges that may be handled informally
by the Juvenile Probation Officer. If the child and parents
admit responsibility for the alleged offense, and agree to
cooperate with Probation, the Officer can dismiss the case;
place the child in a program with supervision or treatment
for up to six months; and/or place the child on supervision
for up to six months. Approximately 60% of cases are handled
in this way.
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Judicial Handling is
utilized when children and their parent(s)/guardian are not
willing to admit responsibility and cooperate with
probation; more serious charges are involved; if the child
has two Non- Judicial priors; or if the child had a prior
Judicial Handling. In these instances, the child appears
before a judge, and a state’s attorney is involved in the
case. Approximately 40% of cases are handled this way.
Types of
Dispositions/Sentencing
Charges can be:
Additionally,
juveniles adjudicated as FWSN or delinquent may be placed on
FWSN supervision, Probation, or Vocational Probation, ordered to
participate in community-based programming, make restitution,
participate in community service, or may be committed to the
Department of Children and Families.
Juvenile
Probation Officers
Juvenile Probation
Officers are involved in all FWSN, Youth In Crisis and
delinquency cases on both pre-adjudicatory and post-adjudicatory
bases.
For pre adjudicatory
cases, Officers complete assessments, write Pre-Disposition
Studies, and make recommendations for conditions of probation
and program /service referrals. They also supervise non-judicial
cases. Once cases are adjudicated, Juvenile Probation Officers
monitor court orders and conditions of supervision, and arrange
for additional services and sanctions for juveniles on their
caseloads. When juveniles violate their supervision, these
officers remain involved in additional court hearings as well as
making recommendations for case disposition
A specialized low
risk supervision unit in each probation office was implemented
in the fall of 2004. Officers in this unit supervise low risk
offenders who are placed on non-judicial supervision, identified
as youth in crisis, identified as FWSN delinquency or placed on
probation/ supervision by the courts.
In January of 2007 a
female gender specific officer was assigned to each court
location. These officers manage a caseload of 25 girls referred
to the court for both delinquency and/or FWSN. Each gender
officer has received extensive training in the specialized needs
of girls as well as the effects of trauma, special education
advocacy, family mediation, and the facilitation of girl’s group
meetings.
