Title: Juvenile Probation Officer Core Subjects: Social Studies

Transcription

1 Title: Juvenile Probation Officer Core Subjects: Social Studies Standards: students will demonstrate why and how lifelong learning, collaboration, and responsible citizenship are necessary to promote the personal and public good. Objectives: demonstrate an understanding of, and reasoned commitment to the rule of law Abstract/Strategy: students will participate in a juvenile court mock trial Occupational Connection: juvenile judge, probation officer, juvenile lawyer Recommended Resources/Materials: paper and pens/pencils Time Allotted: one 45 minute class period Teacher Role: The teacher should explain that in a juvenile court, there are no juries. The juvenile court follows a different procedure than adult courts and T.V. court dramas. In most cases the juvenile pleads guilty to the charges. The following is the procedure if the juvenile pleads guilty. In a juvenile court, the juvenile is brought before the judge and recommendations are then proposed. The teacher before the court begins needs to explain the type of recommendations involved juvenile cases. The recommendations could include restitution, community service hours, work program, detention(juvenile jail facility), and/or therapy. The recommendations should give details about how many hours and what type of community service hours, or how much restitution. The recommendations can include educational goals such as school attendance or better grades such as no F s or D s. The recommendations need to weigh the safety of the child to the safety of society. The role of the parents can be part of the recommendations. If the juvenile pleads not guilty then witnesses may come in one at a time and testify. Usually a police report is filed and in the mock trial a police report may be made up. Both lawyers may ask questions. Again, there is no jury. The judge then decides if the juvenile is guilty or innocent and the recommendations are then presented. Note: Since most juvenile cases enter a plea of guilty, this activity only focuses on a mock trial for a juvenile which has pleaded guilty. draft copy 1

2 Activity: 1. The teacher needs to decide the crime that defendant (juvenile) has committed. Choose something that the students can relate to ( shoplifting, theft, drug possession, getting into several fights, tobacco possession, vandalism, etc.) 2. The teacher decides who is going to be the judge, the juvenile, parents of the juvenile, probation officer, lawyers (one defending the juvenile and the lawyer representing the city). The teacher may want to be the judge or put all the job positions in a hat and have students pull them out. The rest of the class can be the public. They may decide if the court did a good job, if they were too lenient or too tough. Inform the students that this is only a mock trial; in an actual juvenile trial, the public is not allowed in the courtroom. 3. After all the positions are decided. Set up the classroom in the order of a courtroom: the judge in the front of the classroom; the juvenile, parents, probation officer, juvenile s lawyer on one side of the room; and the city lawyer on the other side of the room. 4. The probation officer, the two lawyers are given a piece of paper which details the crime committed by the juvenile. The following pages gives samples of what could be used. 5. On the paper under RECOMMENDATIONS, the probation officer, and the two lawyers each come up with recommendations for the punishment of the juvenile. These recommendations are done separately. For more information on recommendations, see the previous section on Teacher Role. 6. The judge reads out loud the crime committed by the juvenile. The judge then will ask the juvenile what he/she has to say about the crime. 7. The judge then asks for the recommendations from each of the lawyers and the probation officer. Each lawyer and the probation officer reads their own recommendations out loud. 8. The judge leaves for a few minutes to decide which recommendations should be considered and to make the final decision. The judge does not have to follow the lawyers and probation officer s recommendations. The judge makes the final decision on what is to happen to the juvenile. In a juvenile court, the child is not sent to prison. The judge may send a child to detention, have community service hours and good grades. It s all up to the judge. 9. The day after the trial would be a good time to bring in a juvenile probation officer, juvenile judge or lawyer so that the students would have some knowledge about the procedures and could ask questions. If a juvenile probation officer or juvenile judge is available, have them describe the process of the juvenile court system and how it differs than the T.V. courtroom dramas. They could describe the most common crime and what type of recommendations they give to the judge. They could describe why laws are important and what the students could do to be productive citizens as teenagers. If a juvenile probation officer or juvenile judge is not available, the teacher could discuss with students the differences between a juvenile court and the T.V. court dramas. The teacher could lead in a discussion of why laws are important and what students could do to be productive citizen. 10. During or after the trial students may fill out a survey which is found on the following pages. draft copy 2

3 Suggested Assessment: Have each student fill out the survey listed above and/or each student could take the role as the parent, victim, or juvenile and write their own viewpoint on the case. Work-based Learning, Community Connection: see step #9 in the activity for information Integrative Connection: Health Determine an individual s role and responsibilities in creating a safe and caring community Literary Connection: To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee Internet Connection: This website provides an article describing the juvenile court process The following are samples of reports that could be used for a mock court setting. The information is fabricated. Jane Doe and John Doe are not real people. The first sample is blank so that the teacher make create their own case. The following samples include two different cases. One sample provides explanation of the crime WITHOUT the recommendations and the other gives examples of recommendations. The teacher may want to set up several juvenile defendants so the class may see different cases. The sample WITHOUT the recommendations could be given to the lawyers, judge, and probation officer at the beginning of the court and they fill out the RECOMMENDATIONS section. draft copy 3

4 This is the blank sample 1) 2) 3) 4) draft copy 4

5 This is only a sample WITHOUT the recommendations: Doe, Jane May 10, 2000 Jane is before the court for allegation Theft under $299. It is alleged Jane took various types of makeup off a shelf at a local store and placed these item into her pocket. Jane has been before the court on two other occasion, truancy and tobacco use. The sentencing guideline recommend Jane be placed on probation. 1) 2) 3) 4) Probation receive a request of restitution in the amount of $50 from the manager of the local Store. Jane complied with previous court orders within a timely manner. Jane attended all required probation meetings. Sometimes probation had to remind Jane of her court obligations Jane lives with her mother and a younger sibling, age 3. Jane seems to do well in her school setting and at home. School officials state Jane attends all class but does not submit her homework. According to Jane s mother, Jane follows house rules. Probation acknowledges that Jane does well with following curfews. Jane is involved and participates in various activities at the local recreation centers. Jane likes art and crafts and enjoys swimming. Probation and Jane s mother encourages these activities. draft copy 5

6 This is only a sample WITHOUT the recommendations: Doe, John May 10, 2000 John is before the court for allegation of vandalism. It is alleged John spray painted a car. John has been before the court on one other occasion, stealing tobacco from a convenient store. The sentencing guideline recommend John be placed on probation. 1) 2) 3) 4) Probation receive a request of restitution in the amount of $250 from the owner of the car. John has not complied with previous court orders within a timely manner. John has missed several classes at school but has attended all required probation meetings. Sometimes probation had to remind John of her court obligations John lives with his grandparents and a younger sibling, age 8. John seems to get along with his teachers and other students. School officials state John has missed several classes but does submit his homework. According to John s grandparents, John helps out frequently around the house and follows house rules. Probation acknowledges that John does not do well with following curfews. John has been involved with the school wrestling team. John s Probation officer and John s grandparents encourage that John gets more involved with sport activities. draft copy 6

7 This is a sample WITH recommendations: Doe, Jane May 10, 2000 Jane is before the court for allegation Theft under $299. It is alleged Jane took various types of makeup off a shelf at a local store and placed these item into her pocket. Jane has been before the court on two other occasion, truancy and tobacco use. The sentencing guideline recommend Jane be placed on probation. 1) Jane be assessed 25 hours of community service to be completed by July 10, 2000; 2) Jane be assessed $50 restitution to be paid by July 10, 2000; 3) Jane be court ordered to have no contact with the local Store for one year; 4) Court review scheduled for July 13,2000, all parties do have to be present Probation receive a request of restitution in the amount of $50 from the manager of the local Store. Jane complied with previous court orders within a timely manner. Jane attended all required probation meetings. Sometimes probation had to remind Jane of her court obligations Jane lives with her mother and a younger sibling, age 3. Jane seems to do well in her school setting and at home. School officials state Jane attends all class but does not submit her homework. According to Jane s mother, Jane follows house rules. Probation acknowledges that Jane does well with following curfews. Jane is involved and participates in various activities at the local recreation centers. Jane likes art and crafts and enjoys swimming. Probation and Jane s mother encourages these activities. draft copy 7

8 This is a sample WITH recommendations: Doe, John May 10, 2000 John is before the court for allegation of vandalism. It is alleged John spray painted a car. John has been before the court on one other occasion, stealing tobacco from a convenient store. The sentencing guideline recommend John be placed on probation. 1) John be assessed 100 hours of community service to be completed by July 31, 2000; 2) John be assessed $250 restitution to be paid by July 31, 2000; 3) John to serve in detention for 3 days; 4) Court review scheduled for August 2, 2000, all parties do have to be present Probation receive a request of restitution in the amount of $250 from the owner of the car. John has not complied with previous court orders within a timely manner. John has missed several classes at school but has attended all required probation meetings. Sometimes probation had to remind John of her court obligations John lives with his grandparents and a younger sibling, age 8. John seems to get along with his teachers and other students. School officials state John has missed several classes but does submit his homework. According to John s grandparents, John helps out frequently around the house and follows house rules. Probation acknowledges that John does not do well with following curfews. John has been involved with the school wrestling team. John s Probation officer and John s grandparents encourage that John gets more involved with sport activities. draft copy 8

9 Name class period Survey of the Juvenile Court Mock Trial 1. What was the crime committed? 2. What were the recommendations given by the probation officer? 3. What were the recommendations given by the juvenile s lawyer? 4. What were the recommendations given by the city lawyer? 5. What was the final decision of the judge? 6. Did you agree with the judge? 7. Explain why or why not? 8. Explain how the juvenile court system is different than the one on T.V. 9. Should juveniles have a different type of system than adults? 10. Explain 11. What would decrease juvenile crime? 12. Why do we have laws? 13. What can you do draft copy 9