A Day with the County Juvenile Probation Officer Essay

Florida Legislatures created the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice in 1994 to serve as the state agency responsible for youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Although the state agency is under the authority of the state governor, Secretary Christina Daly, who provides leadership for the organization, each circuit has a leadership team who runs the daily operation of each sub-department. The Department’s headquarter is located in Tallahassee Florida where 3,000 employees are employed statewide. Broward County, the seventeenth circuit employs one hundred and twenty employees in Probation. The Department’s mission is to increase public safety by reducing juvenile delinquency through effective prevention, intervention and treatment services that strengthen families and turn around the lives of troubled youth. The Department’s vision is that the children and families of Florida will live in safe, nurturing communities that provide for their needs, recognize their strengths and support their success. The Department has five guiding principles: Prevention and education are paramount; Strengthen partnerships with judicial, legislative and community stakeholders; Promote public safety through effective intervention; provide a safe and nurturing environment for our children and preserve and restore physical and mental health (http://www.djj.state.fl.us/about-us/mission).

A probation officer’s has many duties to fulfill. They are not only supervising the offenders that live within the community, but by monitoring probationers’ progress. The offender must stay away of any trouble, yet comply with the rules and regulations required. A probation officer should help the offender resume a better, productive life for themselves. They should also make it their duty to help them to rehabilitate and be placed back into the

Some juveniles that went through traumatic experiences which led to their sentencing will be able to get to the roots of their issues, since the counselors will be there to guide them.

Furthermore, since February 1, 1916, probation officers have been charged with the duty of visiting the homes from which children have been taken with a view to the improvement of the home and with a view to getting the parents into such a position that they can receive their children again from the institution to which they have been sent.

The informal organization introduced me to how the fellow Probation Officers worked together. As an intern, I created relationships with a few of the Probation Officers. For example, JPO Carroquillo and I had bonded very well. Often, we work hand in hand on specific tasks such as, VOP’s. I really enjoyed working with her. She shared her personal story with me and why she choose the career she did. Over time, I developed a strong connection to working with her and it made me feel more comfortable being an intern there. It affected me in my capacity being an intern because it made me feel a sense of belonging and really made the experience better. In addition to connecting well with the fellow Probation Officers, I did experience other informal characteristics. An example of this is the hours that Probation Officers are required to work. Probation Officers are able to use “flex” hours and do not have to work a normal 8am to 5pm work day. However, I did observe some members of the unit not following any work schedule guidelines at

There are several steps to the criminal justice system, one of them is Probation; a program where the offender’s freedom is limited; usually they have a curfew, and have limits on the things they do. Probations Officers are a huge factor in getting the juvenile offender back on the right track following their sentence. One of the problems with probation is that rather than helping the offenders, sometimes it can hurt them. Some scholars argue that the officers do not take the juveniles, specifically females, seriously when it comes to referring them to receive mental health treatment. In contrast, other scholars argue that Probation Officers are the key to connecting the offenders with mental health care. I will begin by talking about how the gender of the juvenile contributes to the unjust treatment of juveniles on probation, then I will talk about probation officers as “the problem,” and lastly I will talk about a solution. I will conclude by stating my research question and making some contributions as to what can be done to build a stronger relationship between the offenders and the probation officers.

Before we explore the roles and responsibilities of a Juvenile Probation Officer we first must explore the juvenile justice system itself as well as to why it was set in place. In the United States, juveniles that fell into trouble with the law were automatically treated different from adults. Before the juvenile courts were established, children under the age of 7 were never really held responsible for their criminal acts. The law considered them unable to commit any criminal intent, however this could be disproved if the child knew that the act he or she was committing was a crime or that it would cause harm to another

On September 18th of 2015, I decided to attend a court sentencing at the Alameda Superior Court in Oakland. The experience was very interesting and enlightening on how the court system works. While I was there I learned found out a few things about the cases that was being sentenced that I don’t think most people know or could have known without attending the sentencing. I felt like I left the the courthouse with a better idea and grasp on how to act and what to listen for in a sentencing.

A life as a Probation Officer will be interesting and challenging. Probation Officers must have a keen interest in both criminal justice enforcement and helping young and old law offenders. Being a Probation Officer requires performing several duties and putting in a great amount of time and energy. This career provides a unique opportunity to intervene in the lives of criminal offenders and provide an opportunity for reform. The career comes with safety risks, but many current officers relish the opportunity to make a difference in

Juvenile Probation Officers have the authority of a Peace Officer when handling any probationer in the state of Arizona. When dealing with a juvenile on probation, a Probation Officer has the power to arrest with only reasonable suspicion. A Probation Officer also has the right to search a probationer without a warrant. All of these authorities of a Police Officer are honored to a Probation Officer when encountering a

A juvenile placed on probation is assigned to a probation officer who monitors the youth's compliance with the court's disposition order. The juvenile meets with the probation officer periodically (weekly or twice month, for example), and the juvenile's parents or

A social service agency deliver direct services to individuals and families. These services can be provided in public agencies at the federal, state and local level or in private, non-profit settings. The Auxiliary probation officer program is a practical application for the juvenile justice system held at the Jefferson- Lincoln County Circuit Court 6thDivison Juvenile Justice System. This program is for all youth ages 12-18, however the majority is African Americans. The goal of the program is to rehabilitate youthful offenders and to help them become a productive member of society. The goal is achieved by assigning a probation with the least restrictions available through a series of Class, field trips, group

Thomas Stickrath, J.D. is the Superintendent Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio Attorney General. Christine Blessinger is Chief Operations Director Division of Youth Services, Indiana Department of Correction The authors reflects on the challenge of separation practices in juvenile facilities faced by directors of state juvenile correctional agencies. He stresses the need for staff training to provide the resources that will afford confidence in reducing the use of separation that should include adolescent development, trauma-informed care, and motivational interviewing. He mentions the creation of a committee of corrections professionals to address the use of separation in juvenile facilities. Stickrath and Blessinger both believe that

Before this class I only knew a few things about juveniles, and even then it wasn’t in detail it was just the very basics. Even though I did not know that much about this course before taking it learning the information was very interesting and thought provoking. I knew that a juvenile was someone under the age of eighteen. I also knew about the dare Program because they had that when I went to elementary school and I attended it. I also knew that a juvenile could get into trouble with the law and could go to court. I knew that depending on how serious the crime was he could go to a detention center or to jail. Again these are just the basics that you pick up on when going through school and getting older. This class helped me learn some of

As I mentioned in my reflection last week, I attended a Juvenile Court Diversion meeting on Thursday. Four trained volunteers from the Dover community make up the “Diversion Committee”. The committee members meet with first-time offenders of non-violent crimes who under the age of 18 who live in Dover. After asking the offender to describe what they did and to take responsibility for their actions, the committee talks privately about how to best hold this individual accountable. After coming to an agreement, the offender and the committee members form a contract that outlines tasks and/or expectations for the offender to meet. The creator of this program and director for the Dover Teen Center, Steve, also attends.