Carbon County Juvenile Probation
The mission of this Office is to provide delinquent youths with programs of supervision, care, and rehabilitation utilizing a balanced approach of protection of the community, accountability for offenses committed, and development of competencies in order to become responsible and productive members of the community. All misdemeanor and felony charges filed against minors, age 10 to 17, are processed by this department.
A Family's Guide to Pennsylvania's Juvenile Justice System
Chief Juvenile Probation Officer: Joseph Greco jgreco@carboncourts.com
Two Juvenile Court Officers visit the Senior and Junior High Schools of Lehighton, Palmerton, Weatherly, Panther Valley, and Jim Thorpe as well as the Carbon County Vocational Technical School on a daily rotating basis to deal with juveniles who are under the Juvenile Court Office’s supervision.
Meeting weekly helps the juveniles deal with their problems and ensures that the juveniles are in compliance with the conditions of their supervision. As a member of the schools’ Student Assistance Programs, information is exchanged relative to probation clients and results in the development of appropriate treatment plans for juveniles.
This program enhances the Balanced Approach of Restorative Justice by assisting area non-profit organizations, such as fire companies, churches, local schools, townships, boroughs, and civic organizations with numerous projects that benefit the community.
In 2013, 115 supervised juveniles completed 3335 hours of community service work. An additional 38 juveniles completed 551 hours in lieu of payments of fines on summary convictions at the District Justice level. Lastly, 18 juveniles participated in the Restitution Program, completing 548 hours of community service work. A total of $4248.77 was earned and paid directly to the victims of juvenile crime.
A Victims/Witness brochure provides information on how to participate in all phases of the Juvenile Court process. A Victim Claim Form allows each victim an opportunity to submit a restitution claim against the juvenile and provides an avenue to express his or her expectations regarding disposition of the case. A grant was received from the Federal government in which the Victim's Resource Center provides additional services to victims of juvenile crime.
In an effort to expose students to the Judicial System, the Juvenile Court Office extends to all area schools an opportunity to witness actual court proceedings. This program allows students to observe criminal court proceedings, to ask questions of both Court personnel and the Judges, and to witness real life by enlightening them on the consequences of their behavior. Hopefully, this experience will help serve as a deterrent to high-risk behaviors such as crime and drug and alcohol abuse.