Court Services

Court Services encompasses probation along with a vast array of programs and services for delinquent youth and their families including prevention programs in area schools, Work & Learn, diversion, Drug Court, electronic monitoring and other community supervision services, residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment, domestic violence services, counseling services, and various groups facilitated by staff.

Informational pamphlet:  Court Information for Parents and Juveniles (pdf)

Court Investigations

The Court Investigations Unit works with new and returning juveniles during the pre-adjudication and sentencing process.  Probation Officers in this unit work with juveniles and their families to gather information that will assist the court, and work closely with the judges and attorneys to ensure that areas of Competency Development, Accountability, and Community Protection are addressed for each juvenile.

Field Probation

The Field Probation Unit supervises male juveniles on probation in Ada County.  Field Probation Officers are responsible for monitoring and assisting compliance of court-ordered probation terms.  Monitoring may include home, school, and office visits as well as urinalysis testing and referrals for treatment programs and services that are available in the court and community.  Probation Officers are also involved in school and community activities including teaming with local law enforcement.  Due to the many forms of supervision, all probation officers in the Field Unit have flexible schedules that include working evenings.

Female Offender Unit

The Female Offender Unit supervises female juvenile offenders in Ada County starting at the court investigations level through termination of probation.  The unit operates with the special needs of female offenders in mind by providing relationship-based services that research has shown to be particularly effective with females.  The Female Offender Unit initiated The Blanket Project in May 2002 as a fund raiser and work skills program.  Girls in our Detention Center and on probation make baby blankets and large fleece blankets and sell them to finance programs in the Female Offender Unit.

Diversion Program

Diversion is a voluntary program that offers juveniles an opportunity to resolve a filed police report without appearing in court.  If a juvenile is referred to the Diversion Program by the Prosecuting Attorney, s/he will meet with a Diversion Probation Officer to review their pending police report, their rights, and expectations of the Diversion Program.  If a juvenile agrees to participate, a social history interview will be conducted, and the Diversion Officer will develop a contract for the juvenile and parent that may include a Diversion fee, community service, reparation to victims, letters of apology, and applicable groups.

The contract encompasses aspects of accountability (holding the juvenile responsible to the victim and the community for his/her offense) and competency development. The juvenile is given more information and skills about the law, making better choices, and saying no to peer pressure.  The typical contract length is 90 days; however, a juvenile may complete the program sooner if all contractual terms are met.  Alternately, the contract may be extended if more time or services are needed to complete contract terms. 

Prevention Programs

The Prevention Program has three components: a collaboration between juvenile court and school districts to facilitate prevention groups for at-risk students in middle and junior high school; Law Related Education presentations in the local school districts; and interns working diversion cases at the juvenile court.

Prevention Groups

Interns at Juvenile Court are trained in Small Group process and ACJCS’s Prevention curriculum at the beginning of the fall semester.  They are assigned as teams to junior high or middle schools that choose to collaborate with the court in facilitating groups for “at-risk” youth.  Groups are held at the school during the day, rotating through the different periods so that a student does not miss too much of a particular class.  They are usually 8 weeks in duration and cover one school period per week.

Law Related Education Presentations

Law Related Education (LRE) presentations are conducted by ACJCS's Prevention Program Coordinator and support staff.  The presentation includes a video tour of the detention center,

a lecture on the laws that youth typically violate, an explanation of juvenile and magistrate court processes, and a question and answer session.  The LRE presentation focuses on good decision-making and the consequences of violating the law, and attempts to relate to students in a personal way without using scare tactics.

Diversion Case Management

Interns are trained to manage cases that are on the front end of the juvenile justice system in Ada County.  Typically, these are youths who have been brought in on their first offense.  The intern, in collaboration with the juvenile and his/her family, determines the defendant's programming and consequences.  The intern makes appropriate referrals and monitors the progress of the youth during the contract time period.

For more information on Court Services, please contact:

Lael Hansen
Court Services Manager
Ph: 208.577.4898
Email: jvhansel@adaweb.net

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