Juvenile Justice
Youth under the age of 18 who are accused of committing a delinquent or criminal act are typically processed through a juvenile justice system.
According to youth.gov, while similar to that of the adult criminal justice system in many ways – processes include arrest, detainment, petitions, hearings, adjudications, dispositions, placement, probation, and reentry – the juvenile justice process operates according to the premise that youth are fundamentally different from adults, both in terms of level of responsibility and potential for rehabilitation.
The primary goals of the juvenile justice system, in addition to maintaining public safety, are skill development, habilitation, rehabilitation, addressing treatment needs and successful reintegration of youth into the community.
Points of Intervention
There are many steps community partners, families, and others can take to positively impact youth before and after they have come into contact with the juvenile justice system.
Youth.gov says that typically in most states those steps are:
- Initial contact and referral
- Intake
- Diversion
- Detention
- Judicial processing
- Dismissal
- Probation supervision
- Securing correctional placement
- and/or Reentry
PSSG Associates are highly qualified to assist agencies in these intervention strategies to ensure that their juvenile justice systems are in accordance with legal and professional standards.