What is Juvenile Probation?
“Probation” is a supervision program created by law, which is ordered by the court in cases involving a youth who has been found guilty of having committed a delinquent act. Probation is a legal status in which the freedom of the youth is limited and the youth’s activities are restricted in lieu of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice. When a youth is placed on probation, he or she must complete court-ordered sanctions and services. In addition to the general conditions of probation, the youth will need to comply with all special conditions deemed appropriate by the court and with mandatory sanctions that relate to the offense. For example, the youth may be ordered to work community service hours and/or may be ordered to pay money to the victim, if the victim was harmed or suffered losses as a result of the crime. The youth may also be ordered to submit to an evaluation and/or attend counseling, or if the offense warrants, submit a biological specimen for DNA
