The Desktop Guide to Good Juvenile Probation Practice, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a practice guide and resource library for the juvenile probation field. It offers recommendations for juvenile probation officers, judges and court staff. The guidance is organized by six themes: racial and ethnic equity in juvenile probation practice; diversion from the juvenile court system for youth engaging in normal adolescent behavior; effective case management; effective responses that contribute to positive behavior change in young people; limiting unnecessary detention; and organizational culture and development that promotes good juvenile probation practice.
Juvenile probation should be a focused intervention for youth who need it. The mission of juvenile probation is to foster youth’s personal growth, positive behavioral change and long-term success.
To promote positive behavioral change in youth on probation, probation professionals must partner with youths’ families and communities — as well as other public systems and service providers — and use strengths-based, trauma-responsive approaches based on adolescent development.
