NCJ Number
167178
Date Published
1997
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This 1996 Annual Report of the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department (Houston, Tex.) features a description of the Department's Community Service Restitution Program, along with a review of the operations of the agency's various divisions.
Abstract
The Community Service Restitution Program reflects the philosophy crafted by the Harris County Juvenile Board, which involves ensuring accountability for juvenile offenders. Under the Community Service Restitution Program, juvenile probationers do work for their victims and the community that is designed to provide a positive "pay back" to relieve the harm they have caused victims and the community. More than 100 nonprofit agencies have offered their work sites for juvenile probationers to learn lessons about responsible behavior and values. Community service activities include cleaning fire equipment, cleaning stalls at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, work at a local hospital, and maintaining the grounds of an old cemetery. The various divisions of the Juvenile Probation Department report on their 1996 activities. The divisions encompass intake court services, institutions, probation field services, financial services, administrative services, and human resources. The year 1996 saw a reorganization of the department's administrative staff that resulted in the creation of two new divisions, the acquisition of more than $5 million in new grant funds, and the design and preliminary construction plans for a secure facility and a boot camp. An organizational chart and a case flow chart are included.