The On The Tom Green County Juvenile Probation Resources Website

The Texas juvenile justice system is comprised of 166 juvenile probation departments serving all 254 Texas counties. Approximately 98% of youth in the Texas juvenile justice system are provided services through their local probation departments. These departments and residential facilities provide numerous services, but only a small number of facilities offer programs and housing for mental health juvenile offenders. Many public officials, officers, educational staff and those dealing with juvenile offenders are typically quick to label a juvenile as a typical behavioral issue. This is normally the case but in recent years data has showed that… “Of the new admissions in 2014, there were 54% who presented with at psychiatric diagnosis, indicating a need for mental health care.” Certified peace officers,

The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) began in 1992 by the Annie C. Casey Foundation with the purpose of providing alternatives to low-risk teens being placed in detention centers. Detention decisions are based on criteria standards for possible alternatives to incarceration. Data is collected to provide accurate numbers to help diagnose and provide alternative solutions to system issues. The JDAI is also actively involved in collaborating between government agencies, and policies regarding these system issues and youth reform. Incarceration options also reduce teens being placed in detention for warrants, awaiting placement and violations.

The term disproportionate minority contact (DMC) can be defined as the high over representation of minority children in the juvenile justice system, in correlation to their general population compared with Caucasian children. Minority populations include American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, African American, Latino, and Pacific Islander. Issues related to DMC include unequal treatment of certain ethnic groups as compared with similarly

More and more, mentoring programs are being asked to serve high-risk youth. Mentoring programs for high-risk youth are growing across the United States. In Portland, there are: The Boys and Girls Cubs, Big Brother Big Sister, Girls Inc., Human Solutions, Impact Northwest, and Open Meadow just to name a few. Most of the programs are different, but all emphasize the relationship between a high-risk youth and a person who cares about them. Mentoring high-risk youth will have a positive impact on many lives. high-risk youth generally include : teen parenthood, substance abuse, criminal behavior, poor performance in school, absenteeism, no parental educational expectations, lack of social interaction and the foster care system. According to crimesoulution.gov “Violent

With the seemingly rising numbers in juveniles with drug problems there is a need more than ever to specialize programs to help our nations youth. They are needed to help these children overcome their addiction and clean up their act and move on to bigger and better things. Mostly, first time drug offenders are sent to these courts to help before it is too late.

Primary clients and stakeholders involved in the program are: teens, parents, volunteers, schools the teen court coordinator Tamisha Fletcher, judges, Teen Court Advisory Board, City of Arlington officials, and the community service agencies who provide work for teens to complete community service hours. The program’s success depends on

The Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) appointed a new commissioner at the beginning of 1983, at this time the department was facing many organizational issues. The state legislature had previously passed legislation affecting the environment in which the organization operated affecting the population it was originally intending to serve. Internally the DJJ faced many challenges involving organizational goals, routines, engaged staff, and new leadership. It is recommended that the organization take actions to adjust to the environment and align its goals with the new legislature. The newly appointed commissioner should adjust her management towards a task-orientated leadership until the critical director and staff positions are fulfilled. Once the department directors are in place, directives can be established to develop department routines. Hired management can then enforce standard operation procedures as needed to optimize the performance of the organization.

The juvenile justice system has long been in debate over whether its focus should be rehabilitation or punishment. From its birth in the early 20th century, the juvenile justice system has changed its focus from punishment to rehabilitation and back many times. Some say the juvenile justice system should be abolished and juveniles tried as adults, yet studies indicate punishment and imprisonment do not rehabilitate juvenile offenders; therefore, the juvenile justice system should remain

“The effects of the juvenile justice programs are “profound and crippling,” setting youth back instead of helping them.” (Just Learning: The Imperative to Transform Juvenile Justice Systems into Effective Educational Systems) These centers do much more harm than good when it comes to the children staying in these facilities. The “education” that these centers are giving

Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) is a phenomenon that occurs within the criminal justice system. DMC is exhibited through the high percentages of minority contact statistically when compared to predictions that are based on the minority populations within certain communities. DMC is even prevalent in the juvenile justice system that has been created here in America. Disproportionate minority contact is a national, state and local issue that has been discussed for years. The government has made many futile attempts to combat DMC through the creation of amendments, policies and programs. However, the numbers of minority youth in the criminal justice and juvenile justice system remain to be quite staggering.

In Riverside County, there were about 6,800 violent crimes annually between 2010 and 2012. These crimes included homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. This translates to 305 violent crimes annually per 100,000 residents. On the other hand, there were about 60,000 property crimes annually, during the same period (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016).

Unfortunately, in a society dominated by material wealth and status, young individuals often make drastic errors in judgment. Many young individuals, attempting to mimic their role models, pursue endeavors that are as unprofitable as there are detrimental. Activities such as theft, assault, burglary, and vandalism are all common mistakes that young individuals in society make. The reasons for such activity are as varied as they are bizarre. However, society must account for these infringements on individual rights with proper correctional initiatives. One of these initiatives, geared primarily towards young adults, is centered on juvenile court. Juvenile court provides services and support to youth between the ages of 10 and 17. The primary goal of this supervision is to monitor and assist children in hopes of returning these individuals back to society in a productive manner. The Juvenile Court Services unit of Kenosha Wisconsin is no different in this regard as it attempts to aid its youth by preventing destructive behavior from occurring (Dishion, 1999).

As mentioned within the paper, there are benefits to having services provided by both public and private entities; however, there are also concerns. The public sector, which was portrayed by services offered by TJJD, are required to provide yearly reports. In many ways these reports keep the system accountable for the money they are spending and the services they provide or require for juvenile offenders. The reports are open to the public and are easily accessible. As it relates to research, these reports allow people to critically assess juvenile programs, while challenging the government to refine or create programs superior to the ones offered in the past. Reports like these are harder to find regarding services offered by private entities and is a concern. Programs in which juvenile offenders are required to successfully complete, should never be determined by trial and error; however, this is often the case. On a positive note, private entities and community resources typically target the specific needs of a juvenile and include mental health components. Programs which do not offer mental health services should be critically assessed, as they are less likely to succeed. It is important that continued research is applied to the programs offered by both the public and private sectors. As it stands today, treatment services offered

Helping adolescents will circumvent the astronomical amount of money made by prison systems. Change is enviable, but many people want to keep things the same. Jails are making money because inmates work for pennies on the dollar. Most prisons support and employ the whole town or city. Lawmakers and prison owners want to continue to reap the revenue benefits. Progressive laws make better living conditions. Challenges from prison owners and lawmakers will make it harder to protect adolescents from being charged like

When thinking of reforming the juvenile justice system one has to think; what can we do to make this better for everyone involve? There are some programs that can be implemented when trying to make a change in the juvenile system. The main thing is getting parents or the guardian more involved in the child’s whereabouts. Secondly the community where the youth will have a place to go and have something more constructive to do to keep them out of trouble. Law enforcement can get involved in giving ride along and having visits to the local jails or prisons from the youth to talk to some of the inmates. Crime in life isn’t racist at all it has a no age limit, no certain gender and no social status for most of those whom decide to partake in a criminal activity. From the beginning juveniles have been an issue with law enforcement, the question has always arisen of whom will take control without cruel and unusual punishment and assist with the rehabilitation and prevention future crime actions.