NCJ Number
191057
Journal
Journal for Juvenile Justice and Detention Services Volume: 15 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 2000 Pages: 1-46
Date Published
2000
Length
46 pages
Annotation
This article evaluates the role of the juvenile probation officer.
Abstract
The central hypothesis of the article was that the law contains a carefully crafted role for the juvenile probation office and that intake probation officers did not properly understand and execute their role before, during, and after initial hearings in delinquency cases. The article promotes a central proposal for returning probation to its defining mission--keeping children out of incarceration. Although the article focused on how the position operates in the District of Columbia, the insights that it described were considered relevant to other jurisdictions. The article includes case studies of juvenile probation officers' performance before, during, and after juvenile hearings. The article suggests that probation officers could provide more referrals for service and, in general, advocate for children prior to the fact-finding hearing and disposition. Further, the intake probation officer could and should be the child's confidant and champion. Finally, the juvenile probation system should not have three separate components. Each probation officer should do intake, diagnostic service, and supervision. Essentially, the system must provide a helper for the child and for the family, an adult with social work skills to build trust and to advocate for the child to be empowered and creative in a positive way. Notes