Community Juvenile Program
Juvenile Offender Intervention Network (J.O.I.N) is a community program that is located in Los Angeles. J.O.I.N offers an effective alternative to juvenile prosecution that protects the community and gives first-time offenders that are eligible for the program another chance. The program addresses the root cause of the delinquent behavior and works towards preventing criminal behavior in the future (Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office 2016). The program is able to help juvenile offenders, their families, community, and victims by holding the juveniles accountable for their actions. The program imposes consequences and increases the impact on the minor and emphasizes the intensity of their delinquent behavior. The victims receive compensation and juveniles are required to offer an apology and compensate the victims for any damages or losses incurred. The program offers counseling services to juveniles and the parents get parent skills instruction. The services work towards addressing the root cause of the delinquent conduct.
The goal of the program is to offer an alternative to juvenile court for first-time non- violent offenders, to steer them back in the right direction. They are required to take full responsibility for their actions and perform community service. They should not be arrested again, should participate in counseling, and should attend school regularly. Juveniles who complete the program successfully do not appear on any record for the offense. This means that the juvenile can state that they have never been involved or charged for any crime and can get their normal lives back (Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office 2016). Their future education and employment will not be affected if they do not re-offend. This makes the program partner with school districts, community organizations, and county agencies to ensure that counseling and other program services are always available.
The program is attended by juveniles who are between the age of 10 and 17 who have committed a non- violent delinquent conduct for the first time and are to be prosecuted in the juvenile court. However, juveniles who have been arrested for the sale of controlled substances, possessing or using a firearm, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, domestic theft, rape, felony incineration among any other serious offenses are not qualified for the program. For the hate crime offenders, a juvenile is eligible if they committed a nonviolent, low-level hate crime as his first offense, but in a modified version of the program (Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office 2016). They must also take part in an educational program that promotes acceptance of diversity. The program is voluntary and parents of the juveniles have to agree to take part in the parenting skills classes and if they fail to agree to it the juvenile is prosecuted in the juvenile court. The participants are monitored closely by hearing officers make sure that they comply with the program’s rules.
The victims are just compensated for the damages and no follow-up is done on them. The victims go may have gone through mental torture caused by the juvenile offender. They may need to attend counseling sessions because they could still be undergoing trauma. Reimbursing for the loss incurred is not enough for the victim (Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office 2016). The program should consider the victim and offer them counseling sessions.as the parents get their parenting skills classes the victim who is also or more affected than the parent should also be included in the program.
References
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (2016) J.O.I.N Juvenile Offender Intervention
Network. Retrieved from https://da.lacounty.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/Juvenile%20Offender%20Intervention%20Network.pdf
