Juvenile Justice System Structure & Process

This section describes the juvenile justice system, focusing on structure and process features that relate to delinquency and status offense matters. Topics covered in this section include jurisdictional age boundaries for delinquency and status offense matters, the organization and administration of delinquency services (e.g., probation, detention, aftercare and corrections), and trying youth as adults in criminal court.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) provide the latest answers to commonly asked questions about Juvenile Justice System Structure and Process. Here you will find information on the jurisdictional boundaries for delinquency and status offenses, the organization and administration of delinquency services, and State provisions for trying certain youth as adults in criminal court.

Related Juvenile Justice System Structure & Process FAQs
Category	Frequently Asked Questions
Jurisdictional Boundaries	What is a juvenile? [Answer]
Jurisdictional Boundaries	What are the upper and lower ages of delinquency and status offense jurisdiction? [Answer]
Jurisdictional Boundaries	Do juvenile courts lose jurisdiction over youth when they turn 18? [Answer]
Jurisdictional Boundaries	What types of violations constitute a status offense in each state? [Answer]
Jurisdictional Boundaries	How are status offenders classified in each state? [Answer]
Jurisdictional Boundaries	Are delinquency cases and status offenses handled by the same court? [Answer]
Organization & Administration of Delinquency Services	How do states define the purpose of their juvenile justice system? [Answer] Updated
Organization & Administration of Delinquency Services	How do states operate delinquency services (detention, community supervision, and reentry)? [Answer]
Organization & Administration of Delinquency Services	How are detention services operated in each state? [Answer]
Organization & Administration of Delinquency Services	How are supervision (probation) services operated in each state? [Answer]
Organization & Administration of Delinquency Services	What type of agency controls the operation of state commitment facilities? [Answer]
Organization & Administration of Delinquency Services	How are aftercare services operated in each state? [Answer]
Organization & Administration of Delinquency Services	Are adjudicated juvenile offenders ever committed to public detention centers? [Answer]
Organization & Administration of Delinquency Services	What are the most commonly used residential placement options for committed youth? [Answer]
Juveniles Tried as Adults	Are transfer (waiver) laws the only laws that enable states to impose adult sanctions on minors? [Answer] Updated
Juveniles Tried as Adults	How do judicial waiver criteria vary by state? [Answer] Updated
Juveniles Tried as Adults	How do prosecutorial discretion (concurrent jurisdiction) provisions vary by state? [Answer] Updated
Juveniles Tried as Adults	How do statutory exclusion provisions vary by state? [Answer] Updated
Juveniles Tried as Adults	How do juvenile court blended sentencing provisions vary by state? [Answer] Updated
Juveniles Tried as Adults	What is the youngest age that a minor can be transferred to criminal court for trial as an adult? [Answer] Updated
Juveniles Tried as Adults	Have states made it easier for juveniles to be tried as adults in criminal court? [Answer]

Case Flow Diagram

See a visual depiction of how cases typically move through the juvenile justice system.

Date Created: June 1, 2023

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Juvenile Justice System Structure & Process

Juvenile Justice System Structure & Process: Frequently Asked Questions

Case Flow Diagram