Juvenile Services
Probation Diversion Services
As an alternative to court involvement, the Family Court Act provides for local Probation Departments to offer diversion services. The purpose of diversion services is to divert cases from going to Family Court. Diversion services are the only voluntary service offered by the Department of Probation and Community Justice and the only service able to be accessed on a walk-in basis and without a court order. Our department concentrates its diversion efforts on matters related to youth. These youth are identified as Persons in Need of Supervision (PINS) or Juvenile Delinquents (JD).
Family Court Probation Officers provide daily intake coverage Monday through Friday. This means that they are the designated contact for the Probation Department if and when people from the community come looking for information or guidance for any family related matter. This type of request is referred to as an “information only” request. Calls are often from parents looking for advice or help with their “out of control” child. The Probation response may encompass a review of departmental services or resources available in the community.
(PINS) Persons in Need of Supervision
A Person in Need of Supervision is a youth under the age of eighteen who is showing a pattern of habitual disobedience, running away, curfew violations, substance abuse, violent behavior, or school truancy problems. Most PINS referrals are made by parents or school districts. PINS Diversion Services attempt to resolve the conflicts that brought a youth to the attention of the Probation Department by offering supervision, guidance, and referrals to community resources. Referrals may be made for individual and/or family counseling, mediation, youth advocacy programs, respite, or educational or employment assessments and opportunities. Probation Officers work closely with schools to address issues of truancy and/or behavior problems by meeting with teachers, advocating for testing or support services in the school, and by helping parents develop more communication with the school administration. Probation Officers within the Family Court unit are assigned to specific school districts and are present at those schools on a weekly basis.
Juvenile Delinquency
The Tompkins County Probation Department also offers diversion services to youth issued a Juvenile Appearance Ticket by local police agencies. A Juvenile Delinquent is defined as a person over seven and less than sixteen years of age, who commits an act, which -- if committed by an adult -- would constitute a crime. The youth is required to write a letter of apology to the victim(s), complete community service, pay restitution [if applicable], attend a screening for Victim-Offender Conferencing, and remain law-abiding.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Person In Need of Supervision is a term used to describe a youth who is under the age of eighteen and showing a pattern of behavior problems known as status offenses, such as habitual disobedience, running away, curfew violations, drug or alcohol abuse, violent behavior or school truancy. Most referrals come from schools, parents/guardians, and the police.
A Juvenile Delinquent is a child over 7 and less than 16 who has committed either a misdemeanor or felony. A child under 16, who is charged with a criminal offense, is issued a Juvenile Appearance Ticket that directs the child and parent/guardian to appear at the Probation Department. If deemed appropriate, the child will be given a chance to keep the matter out of Court by cooperating with Intake, a more informal process where the child and family work with Probation and the victim(s) or complainant on creating consequences and services needed to turn the behavior around.
The Probation Department has someone available every business day from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to discuss your situation and answer your questions. Just ask for the intake worker of the day. The intake worker is knowledgeable regarding community resources and will discuss whether the PINS Diversion Program is right for you and your family.
If your child has left home and you do not know his/her whereabouts, file a Missing Persons report with the Police. Once you have filed a Missing Persons report, and you continue to be unaware of your child’s whereabouts, call the Probation Department and ask for an intake worker. If appropriate, the intake worker will assist you in preparing a PINS Petition for the purpose of securing a warrant. If your child’s whereabouts are known, the PINS Diversion Program can help you determine an appropriate curfew for your child, support your child’s adherence to the curfew and address other possible behavior issues in the home. An intake worker would also discuss what community resources may be available to promote more pro-social activities for your child and/or services directed toward the specific needs of your child and family.
You may first want to try to verify whether your child is using marijuana. Ask your family doctor to do a surprise drug screen or buy a drug kit at your local drug store. Confront your child directly and see if s/he will admit using to you. Screens and evaluations can also be scheduled at Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services (CARS) or the Tompkins County Alcohol and Drug Council of Tompkins County (TCADC). If your child refuses to follow through with a screen or evaluation, call this department and talk to an intake worker to see if a PINS Diversion referral is appropriate for your child.
You should first let your child’s school administration know that you are having difficulties getting your child to school and see what resources the school may have to motivate your child to attend. If attendance problems continue, your child’s school or you may contact an intake worker at this department to see if a PINS Diversion referral is appropriate for your child. A Probation Officer would work directly with your child, meet regularly with school personnel to monitor your child’s progress, set up supports within the school and work with you to see if there are any community services that might help address the issues behind the poor attendance. According to the Education Law, your child is legally responsible to attend the year in which your child turns 16. However, the Family Court does have jurisdiction of juveniles until they are eighteen and may require your child to attend school if the matter necessitates court intervention.
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