1. Juvenile Probation Officer
Linda Ricketson, Brazos County Chief Probation Officer

2. Texas Juvenile Justice System
Local
Government
State
Government
TJJD
Juvenile
Board
Commissioners
Court
Oversight
Probation
Department
$$ + Oversight

3. Functions of a Juvenile Probation Officer
Investigator
Counselor/Rehabilitator
Protector of Society/Community Safety
Collector of court ordered monies
Broker of community resources
The official duties of juvenile probation professionals vary from State to State and can even differ between jurisdictions within a single State. Nonetheless, a basic set of juvenile probation functions includes: intake screening of cases referred to juvenile and family courts, predisposition or presentence investigation of juveniles, and court-ordered supervision of juvenile offenders. Not all probation departments execute all three of these functions independently. For example, in some jurisdictions the prosecutor shares the intake responsibility with the probation officer, and in other jurisdictions the prosecutor has sole responsibility for the intake process. Similarly, probation responsibilities are not always limited to intake, investigation, and supervision. Some departments also provide aftercare for youth released from institutions; others may administer detention or manage local residential facilities or special programs.
Investigator
Juvenile Probation Officers provide investigation and supervision services for juvenile offenders on court order formal probation, informal probation and deferred entry of judgment.
Counselor/Rehabilitator
Juvenile supervision services are provided through various probation programs ranging from early intervention, intensive supervision, general supervision and placement. In addition, Juvenile Probation Officers recommend appropriate dispositions for juvenile offenders while preserving and enhancing the family unit, whenever possible.
Protector of society
Juvenile Probation Officers provide protection and safety to the community by serving as an arm of the Juvenile and Superior Courts.
Collector of court ordered monies
The offender's probation officer is the person routinely responsible for creating a payment schedule and monitoring the actual restitution payments made to victims. If victims do not receive scheduled payments, they should contact the offender's probation officer through the county probation or court services agencies. Corrections facilities send restitution payments to victims on various schedules. Some distribute payments monthly or quarterly, while others may pay restitution on an annual basis.
Broker of community resources
The basic treatment service model is provided through service brokerage, whereby community resources are used to treat youth. In addition, the program uses a team structure approach for the supervision and treatment of each youth. Each team consists of three surveillance officers, one senior probation counselor, and one probation manager. The senior probation counselor plays a critical role, providing administrative supervision of the team members and coordinating the services the client receives.

4. Statutory Purposes Texas Juvenile Justice System
Safety & Protection of Public
Promote Concept of Punishment
Remove Taint of Criminality
Treatment, Training, & Rehabilitation
Child & Parent Accountability
TFC 51.01
The general principles governing the juvenile justice system are found in Family Code Section The purpose clause declares the overall legislative purposes and vision for the system.
Prior to 1995, the word punishment did not appear in Title 3. Today, Texas and Wyoming are two states that include the punishment/public safety language in the statutory purpose clause, other states do not.
TFC 51.01, Statutory Purposes

5. Juvenile Courts
Courts Eligible for Designation
District
Criminal District
Domestic Relations
County Court
County Court at Law
Designation may change, but must always have a juvenile court in each county
If county court is designated, must have an alternate court
County court may not hear determinate sentence cases

6. Delinquent Conduct TFC Section 51.03
Delinquent Conduct is conduct OTHER THAN A TRAFFIC OFFENSE, that violates a penal law of Texas or the United States punishable by imprisonment or confinement in jail.
Delinquent conduct is conduct other than a traffic offense, that violates a penal law of Texas or the United States (federal law) punishable by imprisonment or confinement in jail. It includes Class B and above offenses, contempt of a justice or municipal court order, third Driving Under the Influence by a Minor and DWI.
TFC (a) delinquent conduct

7. Delinquent Conduct Offenses TFC 51.03
Jailable Misdemeanors and Felonies
(Texas and US laws)
Contempt of JP or Municipal Court
Driving While Intoxicated (DWI)
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol by Minor (DUIM) (3rd Offense)

8. Conduct Indicating a Need for Supervision
CINS Offenses
Conduct Indicating a Need for Supervision
School Attendance Related Offenses
Running Away
Paint and Glue Inhalation
Fineable Only Offenses
School Conduct - Expulsion
Contempt of STAR Court Order
Certain conduct falls under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court as CINJS conduct. CINS conduct includes.. [as stated in slide].
TFC 51.03(b)(2) Truancy and EC Failure to Attend
TFC 51.03(b)(3) Runaway
HSC Inhalant Abuse
PC 8.07 and TFC (f); PC 49.02
TFC Contempt of STAR Court Order

9. Juvenile Status Offenses TFC Section 51.02(8)
School Attendance Related Offenses
Running Away
School Standards of Conduct
Violations of Alcoholic Beverage Code (Minors)
Curfew Ordinance Violations
Fine Only Offenses
Fine Only transfers to juvenile court not punishable against adults

10. Juvenile Probation Length Probation Conditions
Until Child Reaches Age 18
(2 Year Minimum for Certain Felony Sex Offenses against Child)
Probation Conditions
Mandatory Community Service
Home Placement
Relative or Other Fit Person
Foster Home
Public or Private Agency or Institution, except TJJD
TFC 54.04(d)
One of the most typical dispositional options is probation. The formal dispositional options that are available for juvenile offenders depends on the procedural posture of the case. The child may be placed on any term not to exceed his or her 18th birthday.
The Family Code sets out probation conditions that may be ordered by the court such as…[stated in slide].
Probation conditions must be based on reasonable and lawful terms of the court.
TFC (d)
TFC

11. Juvenile Probation Officer Qualifications
Be at least 21 years of age;
Be of good moral character and have no disqualifying criminal history;
Bachelor’s degree from accredited college;
One year of graduate study or full time experience in related field;
Cannot be TCLOSE officer or prosecutor
Must complete a minimum of 80 hours of training
No disqualifying criminal history (felony in past 10 years, misdemeanor in past 5 years)
Competency exam (beginning 9/2011)
Must complete 80 hours of training every two years in order to continue certification

12. Duties of Juvenile Probation Officers (Texas Administrative Code 341
Make dispositional recommendations in court proceedings;
Give final approval to written social history reports;
Act as primary supervising officer for probation and deferred prosecution cases;
Writing and administering case plans
If authorized by local juvenile board, conduct intake interviews and make release decisions

13. Review Functions of a JPO Six primary duties of a JPO
Composition of the juvenile justice system
Summary
The juvenile justice system is comprised of a state level component and a local level component. The Texas Juvenile Justice Department represent the state government. At the local level, the county juvenile board and commissioners court provides oversight and funding to the direct service providers. Currently, there are more that 168 county juvenile boards. The board hires the Chief Juvenile Probation Officer and makes policy and budgeting decisions for the county juvenile probation department.
The juvenile probation officer (JPO) is the first point of contact for an offender following an arrest by police. Juvenile probation staff must be available
at least on-call – 24 hours a day, every day of the year, to assist local and state law enforcement agencies with decisions as to which juvenile offenders
are detained in our youth facilities in order to protect the public. Their mission is to serve the Juvenile Court, children and their families, victims of
juvenile crime, and the community by:
Providing information
Providing services and programs and
Enhancing accountability and community safety
Juvenile Probation Officers perform many different tasks. Their major responsibility is to supervise juveniles who have been placed on probation by the
Court. When juveniles are placed on probation, they are given terms of probation to follow. These terms are orders of the Court and might include an
order to attend counseling, attend a class, do community work or pay restitution.
Juvenile Probation Officers assist juveniles on their caseload to comply with the terms of their probation. They monitor their school progress and work
closely with school personnel to insure their compliance with their educational program. Officers maintain regular personal contact with probationers and
heir parents/guardian. Quality probation officers work closely with the community and help their probationers find opportunities that will help them learn
to respect the law and their community.
According to Chapter 341 of the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, the six primary duties of a juvenile probation officer include:
(1) Dispositional recommendations in formal court proceedings
(2) Final approval of written social history reports
(3) Acting as the primary supervising officer for all court ordered and deferred prosecution cases
(4) Writing and administering case plans in accordance with the Commission's case management standards
(5) If authorized by the juvenile board under Texas Family Code §53.01, conducting intake interviews, investigations, and making release decisions
(6) Complete assessment instruments required by law or TJPC standards