Juvenile Justice Process and Correction

Juvenile Justice Process and Corrections The following information is intended for the parent of a document gang member Xander L. a 17 year-old African American male whose have several juvenile adjudications with the Shelby County, Tennessee Juvenile Court. Xander prior adjudications include purse snatching, breaking and entering, and drug possession. Xander was 13 years old when he committed his first juvenile offense. He was placed in a juvenile correctional facility for a year and on probation twice. Xander resides in the housing projects with his single mother that currently works two jobs. The father has never been a part of this life; however Xander and his mother have a close relationship. She is not happy with his behavior. Xander currently plead guilty for possession of a conceal weapon, however he would like to make his mother proud by obtaining his general equivalency diploma. The purpose of this information is to explain or describe the process after a juvenile arrest, intake processors, court operation, and the disposition. In Tennessee, there is an intake procedure at the juvenile courts. Juveniles are informed of the charges against them and their rights. There is no statutory requirement for the court to inform a juvenile of the collateral consequences possibly resulting from adjudication. Once the police officer refers a case to juvenile court, a prosecutor or juvenile court intake officer (often a probation officer) takes over. That person may decide to dismiss the case, handle the matter informally, or file formal charges (called "petitioning the case"). In deciding how to proceed, the prosecutor or intake officer will typically consider: the severity of the offense, the juvenile's age, the juvenile's past record, the strength of the evidence in the case, the juvenile's gender (boys are