Restoration Justice

Navigating the juvenile justice system helps to rehabilitate younger criminals.

Navigating the juvenile justice system can be scary and confusing for juvenile offenders as well as their families, but with a good lawyer and exceptional behavior most will find their way out of the system rather quickly.

The juvenile justice system can be terrifying for a child first being arrested and locked up, whether they are guilty of their alleged crimes or not. It can be just as traumatizing for parents and loved ones who are concerned about the well being and safety of the child. So, how do you navigate the system and ensure that all of the child’s rights are obtained and they are returned to the family as quickly as possible?

For starters, every juvenile entering the system and family members of the juvenile should understand that they have the right to receive counsel and representation from a lawyer. The absolute first thing the family members should do is hire counsel for the juvenile or request court-appointed assistance if a private lawyer is too expensive.

Navigating the juvenile justice system becomes much easier once you have a good lawyer on your side. Families who can afford a privately paid lawyer will receive more attention and time in most cases than those being represented by court-appointed lawyers who are often overwhelmed with a high number of case loads.

The lawyer who is well versed in juvenile cases and is very familiar with the juvenile court system in the local area will tell the juvenile exactly what they need to do. They will correspond with the juvenile’s family and give advice to them on navigating the juvenile justice system as well.

Behavior while incarcerated is also extremely important to navigating the juvenile corrections system. Those who keep to themselves, stay out of trouble, and avoid conflict with others (other juveniles as well as corrections center staff members and judges) will have a higher chance of being released back into the community, while those who find themselves in additional trouble will be labeled the troublemakers who need to remain locked up.

Keep in mind that in most cases a juvenile just entering the juvenile corrections system will be released fairly quickly to their parents with future court dates pending. Some reasons why a juvenile could be detained longer include:

• Getting into trouble before they can attend a hearing and be released.
• Problems with parents where they do not want the juvenile released or the judge feels a home environment is not safe.
• Serious criminal charges which require an extremely high bond or which may have the juvenile transferred to the adult correctional system.
• Previous charges that have labeled the juvenile a repetitive offender.

A juvenile who does not fall into any of those categories should find themselves released pending court dates rather quickly, unless there are other extenuating circumstances that come into play.

From there, following the advice of a trained lawyer and keeping out of trouble until you are officially through with the juvenile justice system will serve a juvenile well. There are a variety of restorative programs, and punishments that can be used for someone convicted as a juvenile and that will ultimately determine how the juvenile corrections system is navigated after conviction.