Adams County Juvenile Services

Updated ACJC header 
Juan Garza, Administrator:
juang@co.adams.wa.us
Priscilla Olascon, Administrative Assistant:
priscillao@co.adams.wa.us


Mission Statement
The Adams County Juvenile Court Services will ensure the safety of the community and the well-being and safety of the youths under Juvenile department care, we will hold juvenile offenders accountable to victims and communities and assist youths in developing competency and character to aid them in becoming successful members of society.  All youths will become self-sufficient productive adults. 

 

Court Probation 
If a juvenile is ineligible for diversion due to the offense or criminal history and is found guilty or pleads guilty to the offense, he/she is sentenced to community supervision by Judge Peter Palubicki. A minimum of 14 requirements are followed during months of probation. State standard sentencing ranges of 0-12 months, 0-150 hours of community service, 0-30 days of detention, and restitution are determined per offense. Probation begins the same day as court sentencing with a meeting with the probation officer. Work, curfew, school, drug-testing, counseling, classes, etc. are in place and the youth is held accountable with weekly visits. Family is informed about probation activity and direction. Pre-screens and risk assessments are performed after all adjudications to determine the overall state of the juvenile. Youth are encouraged to leave the past and begin a new life of direction and purpose. For questions, please contact Probation Officer Larry Gonzalez larryg@co.adams.wa.us

i-Act

Individual-Alternative Choice Training is a program for moderate to high-risk offenders. It offers three separate trainings which include social skills training, self-control training, and problem analysis training. These 1:1 trainings help youth build and implement alternate behaviors in a positive way. For questions, please contact Probation Officer Edgar Vega edgarv@co.adams.wa.us or Diversion Coordinator Javier Lopez javierl@co.adams.wa.us

Institution Sentencing
If a juvenile offender has an offense and/or criminal history that necessitates a greater sentence than community supervision, a sentence committing the youth to an extended period at the state Juvenile Rehabilitation Association (JRA) is imposed. The juvenile is transported out of the area to serve their sentence of a minimum of 31 days and can be held until 21 years of age. JRA is a Washington State Institution.

J.D.A.I. Programs
Detention is a crucial early phase in the juvenile court process.  Placement into a locked detention center pending court significantly increases the odds that youth will be found delinquent and committed to correction facilities and can seriously damage their prospects for future success.  Yet many detained youths pose little to no threat to public safety, therefore, the programs listed below are our alternatives to detention.     

Community Service: Juveniles learn practical skills and personal responsibility while giving back to the community. Our department helps to keep our county clean and helps youth gain a sense of pride for where they live. The Community Service Department has work crews that take care of litter and graffiti cleanup for the entire county. For any questions regarding Community Service please contact Kevin Alvarez kevina@co.adams.wa.us

Girls Circle: Structured support group for girls from ages 14-18 aiming to counteract social and interpersonal forces that impede growth and development by promoting an emotionally safe setting where they can develop caring relationships with others and be their own voice. Questions regarding Girls Circle please contact Edgar Vega edgarv@co.adams.wa.us                        


Boys Council: Support group for about 6-10 boys of similar age that engage in activities that address relevant topics and reflection on life events. This program provides resiliency and youth development practices and concepts.  Questions regarding Boys Council please contact Edgar Vega
edgarv@co.adams.wa.us                                                                         


Truancy/ ARY/ CHINS
Under state law a juvenile cannot miss 4 days of school in a month or 10 days of school in a school year unexcused. When a juvenile fails to attend school without an excuse, they are considered truant.  A Community Engagement Board (CEB) petition is created, and the juvenile is given school attendance recommendations by the CEB.  If the Juvenile is unsuccessful with the CEB recommendations a truancy petition is then generated by the School District and forwarded to juvenile court. If a juvenile is found truant after the truancy petition has been completed, they must appear before a juvenile court judge for disciplinary sentencing.

The ARY program is a legal process by which parents who are experiencing problems with at-risk-youth can request a petition from D.S.H.S. and receive assistance from the Juvenile Court. The petition essentially asks the judge to help in requiring the child to reside in the home and/or participate in needed treatment. For questions, please contact Priscilla Olascon priscillao@co.adams.wa.us or Michaela Hunt michaelah@co.adams.wa.us 

The CHINS program is a legal process by which the court may place a child out of the home temporarily while services are utilized to address concerns all the while moving towards reunification with the family. Petitions are filled through the D.S.H.S. department. For questions, please contact Priscilla Olascon priscillao@co.adams.wa.us or Michaela Hunt michaelah@co.adams.wa.us

Detention
Adams County juveniles are sent to Martin Hall Regional Juvenile Detention Facility. The mission of the facility is to provide a safe and secure environment for juvenile offenders while promoting accountability, competency development and community safety. This is accomplished through role modeling, promoting education, ensuring due process and providing quality programs. For more information, please visit Martin Hall Juvenile Detention Facility

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