Page 26 - Department Overview 2020
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JUVENILE
SERVICES A Deputy Probation Officer (DPO) assigned
DIVISION to Juvenile Intake will directly refer any
mandatory referrals to the District Attorney’s
Office. Non-mandatory referrals are
reviewed for appropriateness for diversion
INTAKE programs or informal handling. If eligible
and suitable, non-serious offenses can be
Juvenile Intake refers to the handling of addressed without any further action. More
referrals to the Probation Department for serious offenses are usually referred to the
delinquent behaviors committed by youth. It District Attorney’s Office for review for the
is the first step in the referral process. Most formal filing of a petition. In many cases,
referrals are made by local law enforcement referrals are received for youth who remain
agencies in the form of an application and in the community. In other cases, referrals
affidavit. Referrals can be made for are received on youth who were taken into
delinquent behaviors (commonly referred to custody for their offenses.
as 602 offenses) or status offenses
(commonly referred to as 601 offenses). For those youth who remain detained,
Delinquent behaviors are those that would referrals are expedited and youth are
be a crime if committed by an adult while brought before a judge within legal time
status offenses are those acts that are only frames. An evidence-based risk and needs
illegal for juveniles, such as running away assessment instrument helps identify the
from home or not attending school. Various highest risk cases for re-offending and
Welfare and Institutions Code (W&IC) guides decision-making on appropriate case
sections govern the operation of the planning and dispositions. A shorter version
juvenile court law and subsequently assists as a screening tool at the Intake
juvenile probation activities. level.
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