Juvenile probation department focuses on the provision of a sanction imposed by the courts on issues regarding juvenile cases in the society. The following report will focus on a local probation department that has taken care of a wide range of juvenile cases involving children and youths in the community. Juvenile cases involve criminal activities whether violent or nonviolent activities committed by young people that are not within the age of the majority. The report will focus on San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department, which is known for its ability to handle a wide range of juvenile cases in the society. San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department has taken care of some juvenile cases that involve violent crimes such as murder and robbery as well as non-violent crimes such as Arson, drug and weapon possession, sexual assaults among others. The most common type of juvenile cases reported in the probation department entails the non-violent crimes that involve drug and weapon possession and disorderly conduct (Granello, P. F., & Hanna, 2003).
San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department is guided by values and beliefs that help towards the vision and mission defined by the department. The probation department capitalizes on honesty, dignity, and integrity as the primary values that help in enhancing the effectiveness of operations undertaken by the probation officers within the department. The mission of the probation department is to serve various needs of the youths and the entire society on issues involving juvenile delinquency with utmost care and compassion. The department aims to promote the best interests of the youths through the identification and to respond to the needs of the youths in the community (Vries, S. L., Hoeve, M., Assink, M., Stams, G. J. J., & Asscher, 2015). Through promoting the best interest of the youths, the probation department capitalizes on holding the youths accountable for their actions and providing them with a platform to change and develop new life skills that are necessary for definite cohesion in the community. The vision of the department entails being the best probation department in the world with the relevant skills and techniques that help in creating efficient models of intervention in various cases involving juveniles.
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San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department is located with the adult probation department and the community corrections department with the aim of enhancing effectiveness in the operations undertaken within the departments. Although the adult probation department concerns cases involving criminal activities committed by the adults, the mode of operation in the department is similar to that of the juvenile probation department. San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department works closely with the adult probation and community corrections department in ensuring that the victims in the juvenile cases receive appropriate and relevant sanctions as imposed by the courts. Considering that the probation department focuses on the prevention of a repetition of juvenile crimes, there are some services that have been implemented by the department to prevent reoffending. The juveniles face close supervision that helps against committing other crimes and is often coupled with punishment and a type of incarceration (Tossone, K., Kretschmar, J., Butcher, F., & Harris, 2016).
The effectiveness of a juvenile probation department is measured by the level of crimes that are committed within a given time and the rate of reoffending among the victims that have a previous record of engaging in juvenile crimes. According to Macallair, D., & Males (2004), the number of juvenile cases reported in San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department continues to reduce significantly over the last five year, which is a crucial indication that the department is effective in dealing with the cases and preventing reoffending. For example, in 2013, the total number of juvenile cases taken care in the department was 1,095 while in 2014 the total number of cases where 916, indicating a significant decrease in the number of the case. Based on an analysis of the given probation department, the level of effectiveness in the operations is higher compared to other departments, which is a critical indicator that the department is run well. Additionally, the significant reduction in the number of cases reported indicates that the probation department is in a position to meet the needs of the youths and preventing them from engaging in criminal activities.
References
Granello, P. F., & Hanna, F. J. (2003). Incarcerated and Court‐Involved Adolescents: Counseling an At‐Risk Population. Journal of Counseling & Development , 81 (1), 11-18.
Macallair, D., & Males, M. (2004). Failure of good intentions: An analysis of juvenile justice reform in San Francisco during the 1990s. Review of Policy Research , 21 (1), 63-78.
Tossone, K., Kretschmar, J., Butcher, F., & Harris, L. (2016). Validating the Ohio Scales in a Juvenile Justice Sample of Youth with Behavioral Health Issues. Journal of Child and Family Studies , 25 (4), 1218-1228.
Vries, S. L., Hoeve, M., Assink, M., Stams, G. J. J., & Asscher, J. J. (2015). Practitioner review: effective ingredients of prevention programs for youth at risk of persistent juvenile delinquency–recommendations for clinical practice. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry , 56 (2), 108-121.
