Probation

The main goal in the juvenile court system is to rehabilitate young people so they can become law-abiding, productive members of the community.

Juvenile Justice

Although the judge in a juvenile court has several options available to him or her, they most often choose to put juveniles found to have committed juvenile acts on probation.

Terms Of Probation

The terms of each juvenile’s probation can vary depending on the circumstances of their case.

Some of the rules a minor may need to follow while on probation are:

• Checking in with their probation officer
• Keeping to a curfew
• Attending court-ordered programs
• Staying away from gang members
• Not wearing gang colors
• Taking drug tests
• Attending school

Philadelphia Juvenile Probation

In Philadelphia, juvenile probation is shaped to each case with the goal of being accountable to the victim, protecting the community and rehabilitating the juvenile offender.

Philadelphia Juvenile Probation Department is organized into geographic districts, specialized probation units and aftercare units that assign probation officers to individual residential programs for institutional and aftercare services.

A Delinquent Intake Unit acts as the liaison to the police and the prosecutor’s office for processing new delinquent cases. Among other functions, the unit provides support services for detention hearings.

Electronic Monitoring

Instead of confinement to a detention facility, in Philadelphia juveniles can be monitored at home through a GPS & Voice Tracking Unit.

Minors serving electronic in-home detention in some Pennsylvania counties have to wear an electronic ankle cuff. A transmitter in the cuff tracks when they leave or enter their home. Once the device is put into place, it can’t be removed until the probation terms are met.

Their home telephone is connected to a central monitoring system station that notifies the juvenile probation office about the activity recorded.

How A Lawyer Will Help

If your child is arrested, you need an attorney who will stand by you every step of the way, work hard to discredit any evidence – and work with you to determine the best course of action.

If a minor’s case is going to be tried in an adult court, whenever possible your attorney will try to have the case moved to a juvenile court.

Pennsylvania Minors Law

Laws for minors are described and defined in The Pennsylvania Code under Title 18, Chapter 63. Read the code here.