![]() ![]() After arrest a youth is often brought to the local juvenile detention facility by law enforcement. Juvenile courts may hold delinquents in a secure detention facility if the court believes it is in the best interest of the community or the child. If, however, the youth fails to meet the conditions, the intake decision may be to formally prosecute the case, and the case will proceed just as it would have if the initial decision had been to refer the case for an adjudicatory hearing.ĭuring the processing of a case, a youth may be held in a secure detention facility: If the youth successfully complies with the informal disposition, the case is dismissed. Consequently, this process is sometimes labeled "informal probation." Compliance with the informal agreement is often monitored by a probation officer. In most jurisdictions, a youth may be offered an informal disposition only if he or she admits to committing the act. ![]() These conditions are often outlined in a written agreement, generally called a "consent decree." Conditions may include such items as victim restitution, school attendance, drug counseling, or a curfew. Voluntarily agrees to specific conditions for a specific time period. In the other informally processed cases, the youth ![]() Most informally processed cases are dismissed. Less than half (46%) of all cases referred to juvenile court intake are handled informally. If there is sufficient evidence, intake will then determine if formal intervention is necessary. To make this decision, an intake officer first reviews the facts of the case to determine if there is sufficient evidence to prove the allegation. At this point intake must decide either to dismiss the case, handle the matter informally, or request formal intervention by the juvenile court. The court intake function is generally the responsibility of the juvenile probation department and/or the prosecutor's office. The remaining referrals were made by others such as parents, victims, Law enforcement referrals accounted for 84% of all delinquency cases referred to juvenile court in 2020. Most juvenile court cases are referred by law enforcement: If law enforcement must detain a juvenile in secure custody for a brief period in order to contact a parent or guardian or to arrange transportation to a juvenile detention facility, Federal regulations require that the youth be securely detained for no longer than 6 hours and in an area that is not within sight or sound of adult inmates. Forty-five percent of all arrests involving youth were referred to juvenile court.įederal regulations discourage holding juveniles in adult jails and lockups. Nineteen percent of all arrests involving youth in 2020 were handled within the police department and then released. Usually, law enforcement makes this decision, after talking to the victim, the youth, and the parents, and after reviewing the juvenile's prior contacts with the juvenile justice system. Law enforcement diverts many youth out of the justice system:Īt arrest, a decision is made either to send the matter further into the justice system or to divert the case out of the system, often into alternative programs. Consequently, any description of juvenile justice processing must be general, outlining a common series of decision points. Young law violators generally enter the juvenile justice system through law enforcement.Įach State's processing of law violators is unique:Įven within States, case processing often varies from community to community depending on local practice and tradition. The statistics have been updated to reflect the latest available data. The following is an excerpt from the Juvenile Offenders and Victims: A National Report publication, NCJ 153569, pages 76≧9. The stages of delinquency case processing in the juvenile justice system. (click on image to viewer larger flow chart) ![]()
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