Juvenile Probation Officers

Juvenile probation officers (JPOs) have been rightly called the workhorses of the juvenile justice system, because of the varied tasks that they are called to perform. Their jobs can include intake screening of cases for court, counseling, acting as a juvenile prosecutor or defense advocate, investigating a recently adjudicated delinquent and writing the predispositional report (PDR), and revoking the probation of a delinquent who has not fulfilled the conditions by which he or she has agreed to live. JPOs may be called upon to deal with volunteers for teen court or conduct home visits to check on the environment of a child taken into custody by the police. He or she may spend the day searching on the Internet for programs appropriate to the needs of a juvenile with unique issues or spend hours on the telephone doing much the same thing, talking with program directors and superintendents of juvenile facilities. It is the job of the JPO to know what programs exist, where they are located, and if they are available at any given time. The JPO may also be called upon to run group therapy sessions, anger management classes, classes in parenting for parents and guardians of a juvenile, and courses in drug treatment or prevention. In some states, JPOs serve as juvenile parole officers and oversee the aftercare of a juvenile who has been released from an institution. In some cases, they may even act as directors of halfway houses, restitution programs, or detention facilities (juvenile holding facilities or “jails”). As a juvenile court insider, the JPO has to work closely with judges, educating them tactfully regarding the newest developments and accepted practices in the juvenile justice field, and learning their idiosyncrasies with respect to dispositions. Finally, JPOs often get to supervise juvenile probationers in the field. This means that they go to the homes, schools, or workplaces of “delinquents” (those so labeled by the courts, that is, such as those who have been convicted in adult court) and investigate their progress, performance, and attitude. The job of a JPO is challenging and in most jurisdictions calls for a specialized degree in criminal justice, criminology, social work, or a related field. In order to advance beyond the lowest level, a master's degree is a necessity.

For a number of decades, JPOs have been focused on diversion efforts. These programs attempt to funnel the first-time or minor delinquent away from full court involvement and the effects of negative labeling that may occur there. Such efforts would normally begin at intake screening, when the JPO might conclude that a juvenile found with a marijuana joint in his pocket might benefit more from a drug resistance or substance abuse education program than from a formal juvenile court hearing. The JPO, acting as intake officer, would check openings and availability and then divert that youth to such a program. Upon successful conclusion of that program, the juvenile would have no record and would not have to go to court. However, if the youth chose not to participate, did not attend, or did not finish the prescribed course or treatment, he would return [Page 226]to the court and have an adjudication hearing. At that point, the youth is fully involved in the juvenile justice system.

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