Juvenile Probation
When a youth appears in court on a delinquency offense, the judge can refer him or her for probation services. Ramsey County juvenile probation works with youth, age 18 and under, within the Ramsey County Juvenile Justice System. Some youth who commit serious offenses may be designated Extended Juvenile Jurisdiction by the Court, and placed on probation until age 21. During the probation period, a probation officer will work with each youth and his or her family, school and community to address issues and minimize the risk of reoffending. The supervision period for each youth can vary, but typically starts at 90-180 days. The period of probation supervision may be extended by the court if necessary.
Throughout the youth’s supervision, probation officers carry out the tasks necessary to protect the community, hold the youth accountable and facilitate positive behavior change. Probation officers assess a youth’s risk to reoffend, and refer the youth and family to services that help reduce the risk of further criminal activity. They ensure youth on probation know what is required by the court, and help youth meet those requirements. Probation officers act as a support for families, schools and other professionals. Probation officers attend all court hearings for the youth they supervise. They may file a probation violation if the youth does not comply with court orders.
Ramsey County probation services include random drug testing, chemical health assessments, school support, victim impact group, girls group, anger management group, community service work, evening programming, and individual and family therapy.
Juvenile justice process
A probation officer is assigned to each youth for their entire probation period. The probation officer is responsible the following:
- Gathering information about the youth’s family, behavior in school, and any damages done to victims of the crime.
- Presenting the information gathered to a judge along with a recommendation. Probation officers know what programs are available and they do what they can to get youth the help they need. The judge then determines the outcome for the case.
- Working with the youth to make sure he or she follows the judge’s orders.
- Reporting good behavior to the judge and, if appropriate, recommending that the youth be discharged from probation.
- Reporting non-compliant behavior to the judge and, if appropriate, recommending additional restrictions.
During probation you will likely have questions. Your Probation Officer is the “first stop” for answers. Questions that are often asked by youth on probation include:
- Do I need to appear for my review hearing?
- How much community service do I have to do?
- Where can I do community service work?
- How do I obtain a copy of my juvenile record?
- What does my Probation Officer plan to recommend to court?
Curfew
The Ramsey County curfew ordinance requires juveniles age 15 and younger to be home by 10 p.m. every night of the week and those aged 16-17 to be home by midnight.
Community partners
- Neighborhood House: Provides Girls Program, which is designed to help girls who are having issues in the areas of family, education, peers, substance abuse, leisure time, behavior, social skills, criminal orientation and or healthy relationships. The girls have weekly group meetings and individual therapy meetings. Neighborhood House staff will work with families as needed.
- Model Cities: Provides Community Coaches, a collaborative group made up of community-based organizations and individual contractors working together to provide a short-term referral source for probation for those youth who are at risk of a probation violation. The primary role of the community coach is to intervene with youth who are already involved in criminal behavior in an effort to prevent repeat behavior or escalation. A community coach should not be mistaken for a probation office but will work with youth, parents and probation to ensure that youth comply with their court appearance requirements.