Assignment: Juvenile Probation Agreement

Jimmy Richardson is a 15-year-old Centervale high school freshman with no past criminal history. He currently works part-time at a local retail establishment. The local police believe Richardson is involved with a local gang. They also suspect him of having used drugs in school.

Richardson and a friend are caught stealing $150 from a local gas station. The arresting officer smells alcohol on both Richardson and his friend. Richardson expresses regret for his actions and comments to the police and the court staff that he has been depressed lately because of his parents' impending divorce.

The judge presiding over Richardson's case decides to place Richardson on probation instead of sentencing him to confinement. However, before this sentence can be finalized, a document called a probation agreement needs to be prepared and authorized by the court. Essentially, a probation agreement is a contract of sorts between the probationer, the probationer's parents (in the case of juvenile probation), and the judge, and it outlines what is expected of the juvenile while on probation.

Elements of the probation agreement generally include basic information about the defendant (his or her name, the court out of which the defendant is serving his or her probation, and the offense). Other common elements are the general conditions of probation, which are the terms, rules, and guidelines required of all probationers (these are typically the same for all probation agreements within a particular jurisdiction), and special conditions of probation, which are terms specific to each individual probationer. Special conditions of probation are based on the circumstances pertaining to the defendant's arrest and conviction.

Tasks:

You are a juvenile probation officer assigned to Richardson's case. Using the template provided, prepare a probation agreement for the adjudicating judge to review.

In your agreement, list the general conditions (conditions that apply to all probationers) as well as any special conditions (conditions that apply only to Richardson in this particular case) that are appropriate.

Use the juvenile probation agreement forms found at the following links as guides to select proper general and special conditions:

http://www.bannockcounty.us/juvenile/probation.html

http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/jv622.pdf

In addition to the probation agreement, in a separate page, provide a 1-page summary of your justification for choosing the special conditions you included in the probation agreement.