37th Judicial Circuit - Juvenile Division Intervention Program

The Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program (Byrne Competitive Program) will help communities improve the capacity of state and local justice systems and provide for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs. This competitive grant announcement focuses on initiatives in eight areas: 1) preventing and reducing violent crime through community-based data-driven approaches; 2) providing funding for neighborhood-based probation and parole officers; 3) reducing mortgage fraud and crime related to vacant properties; 4) hiring of civilian support personnel in law enforcement (training staff, analysts, dispatchers, etc.); 5) enhancing forensic and crime scene investigations; 6) improving resources and services for victims of crime; 7) supporting problem-solving courts; and 8) national training and technical assistance partnerships.

Under category 2, the 37th Judicial Circuit Juvenile Office will use the grant award to implement a program devoted to preventing status offenses by monitoring and engaging juvenile offenders in the 37th Judicial Circuit. The project will reduce probation officer caseloads, allowing frequent contacts and increasing the delivery of services to the project participants. This project, which seeks to streamline services to each participant within the 37th Judicial Circuit, has been patterned after an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 'best practices' model entitled 'San Diego County Breaking Cycles'. The 37th Judicial Circuit will hire a juvenile probation officer whose primary duty will be to provide intensive probation services to program participants within 72 hours of receiving a referral. The probation officer will provide several key deliverables, which include increased drug tests and curfew checks, frequent family conferences, coordinated services for the family, and intensive supervision.

CA/NCF