Law/Status Violation Unit

The Delinquency Unit serves as the Juvenile Office's front line in dealing with youth involved or allegedly involved in committing delinquent acts (state law or municipal ordinances that have been violated by a juvenile) and status offenses (activities deemed offenses because of a juvenile’s age at the time of the activity). Deputy Juvenile Officers within the unit are assigned referrals concerning youth who while less than 17 years of age committed or are suspected of committing an offense. These referrals are sent to the Juvenile Office by Law Enforcement.  Refer to the Flow Chart for more information.

The role of the Juvenile Officer is to advise a juvenile of their rights during an investigation conducted by law enforcement. If a referral is legally sufficient, a juvenile officer can make recommendations for disposition that may include diversion, informal, or formal services. The juvenile officer will conduct a risk/needs assessment and provide a written social summary to the judge in formal cases.

Diversion is a way to assist juveniles and families with rehabilitative processes without formal juvenile justice system involvement and reduce any associated stigma of involvement in the system.  A juvenile and family may be referred to resources in the community or be directed to complete Diversion programming.

Informal (No Court Action)
An informal agreement between the Parent, Juvenile and Juvenile Officer that holds the youth accountable for his/her actions, addresses issues of community safety and the treatment needs of the juvenile. Possible informal resources include the following: Informal Adjustment Supervision, Victim/Offender Mediation, Girls Program, Boys Program, and a variety of services provided through various counselors and mental health providers.
Formal (Court Action)
A petition is filed and the case is heard by the Juvenile Court Judge. If a youth is found to have committed the offense in the petition, the court will decide what services and/or sanctions to impose on the youth. Services available for youth include Formal Probation Supervision, Day Treatment Programming through the Greene County Youth Academy, or a commitment to the Division of Youth Services.