NCJ Number
75109
Date Published
1979
Length
45 pages
Annotation
This handbook for parents and juveniles provides an overview of the Maine juvenile justice system and a review of the roles and legal responsibilities of public officials who work in it.
Abstract
Responsibilities and duties are specified for law enforcement officers, juvenile aid workers, intake workers, district attorneys, defense attorneys, judges, and probation officers. Juvenile status is explained, and the rights of juveniles, parents, and victims of juvenile crimes are identified. Terminology used in juvenile justice system case processing is defined, including the terms informal adjustment, summons, petitions, detention, bind over, adjudicatory, dispositional hearings, and probation. The Maine Youth Center, the State's secure juvenile facility for male and female offenders, is briefly described. The mechanics by which the personnel and processes described above function in processing a typical juvenile case are illustrated with a case study of the events which occur when a juvenile offense is committed and with a series of flow charts. System functioning in special cases, such as protective custody, mental incapacitation, truancy, civil violations, interim care, and running away is also described. The constitutional rights of juveniles are outlined, and nonconstitutional rights are identified, including limits on detention, informal adjustment, and court review of juvenile probation. Parental rights include notification of arrest and adjudication schedules, written reports on case progress, court order appeals, and grievances regarding service provision. Several charts and an appendix containing 93 references are included.