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 Juvenile Delinquency
Special Programs for Minors who are
Released
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The juvenile
justice system tries to keep the community safe AND do what’s best for the
minor
who broke the law.
To do both, the Juvenile Probation Department in Santa Clara County has
these special programs for minors who don’t have to stay locked up:
Community Release
If the minor is released to this program, he or she will
be strictly supervised.
A counselor will call the minor every day. The counselor is there to support
the minor and the family. This counselor talks to the minor’s school, boss
and parents. Then, the counselor tells the
Court how the minor is doing and if the minor is obeying the conditions
for release.
In some cases, the minor will be electronically monitored (EMP). There are 2
ways to do this: voice recognition or a transmitter attached to the ankle.
Voice recognition is when the probation department calls the minor’s house
at random. The minor talks into the phone. Then a computer matches the voice
to a recording of the minor’s voice.
If the minor has a transmitter attached to the ankle, the probation
department calls a monitoring device in the minor’s house. If the minor left
without permission or disconnected the equipment, it sets off an alarm and
the counselor will find out about it.
At the disposition
hearing, the judge will decide if electronic monitoring will be part of the
minor’s probation conditions.
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FOCUS
FOCUS stands for “First Offender Close up Services”. This special program
deals with minors who are at risk because of:
-
Their age,
-
Doing badly in school,
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Family problems,
-
Drug abuse, or
-
Breaking the law.
These factors can put a minor at risk of being a repeat
offender. The Court can send these minors to the FOCUS program.
FOCUS will look at the minor and the minor’s family. Then, they will make a
plan to help the minor and the family. A team of people meets every week to
talk about how the minor is doing and what the minor and the family needs.
A probation officer from the FOCUS program will supervise the minor closely
until probation ends.
Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP)
In some cases, a youth can wear an electronic monitoring
device instead of being sent to Juvenile Hall. This can happen both before
and after the case is decided in court. Youth wearing these devices are
supervised by a probation group counselor.
Alternative Placement Academy (APA)
APA’s goal is to give minors who break the law an alternative to being
locked up or put in a group home.
If the minor qualifies, they can be put in a co-ed school for grades 9 to
12. There are 2 schools with 30 kids in each school. The minor:
-
Has 8 hours of school or job training a day
-
Has a lot of supervision
-
Gets wrap-around services
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Gets electronic monitoring
-
Gets drug testing
-
Has to pay
restitution
(compensation) to the victim
-
Goes through a family strengthening program, and
-
Has to take responsibility for their actions
There are more programs and resources for young people in
our community. To learn more, go to Resources
and Referrals for Juvenile Delinquency cases.
Evening Reporting Center (ERC)
The Evening Reporting Center is an alternative to Juvenile Hall. It has been
open since September 2006. The ERC offers a 30-day program that operates
from 3 to 9 pm. It is a structured program that gives young people the
chance to get help in a supportive, "family like" environment.
Those who qualify for the program have violated
probation, or have committed minor crimes such as petty theft or drug use.
At the ERC they can get help with issues that are putting them in danger of
failing in society and failing on Probation.
Staff from two community groups - the Alum Rock
Counseling Center and Fresh Lifelines for Youth - provides programs that
encourage better decision-making and being responsible for your actions.
Youth in the ERC program also get:
-
legal education
-
art classes
-
help with homework
-
meals
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