Juvenile Probation

Probation’s relationship is focused on probation officers engaging with youth and families. The structure of supervision continues to shift from compliance with court orders to supporting long-term change​, focusing on the assets, skills and resources that youth and families bring to the process​

 The probation officer is responsible the following:

• Gathering information about the youth’s family, behavior in school, and any damages done to victims of the crime.
• Presenting the information gathered to a judge along with a recommendation. Probation officers know what programs are available and they do what they can to get youth the help they need. The judge then determines the outcome for the case.
• Working with the youth to make sure he or she follows the judge’s orders.
• Reporting good behavior to the judge and, if when appropriate, recommending that the youth be discharged from probation.
• Notifying the court of non-compliance and, if appropriate, recommending additional interventions.

Probation officers are the “first stop” for answers. Questions that are often asked by youth and their families include:

• Do I need to appear for my review hearing?
• How much community service do I have to do?
• Where can I do community service work?
• How do I obtain a copy of my juvenile record?
• What does my Probation Officer plan to recommend to the court?
• When will I be off probation?

The Ramsey County curfew ordinance requires juveniles age 15 and younger to be home by 10 p.m. every night of the week and those aged 16-17 to be home by midnight.

• Model Cities  provides Community Coaches, a collaborative group of community-based organizations and individual contractors who work together to provide referrals youth at risk of a probation violation. Community coaches intervene with justice-involved youth to help prevent continued engagement in criminal behavior or escalation. A community coach is not a probation officer but works with youth, parents and probation to ensure that youth and families have the resources and support needed to attend their court hearings.
   
• Face to Face Youth Justice Program, Power in Peace, serves youth on probation and their families. Face to Face’s justice-involved clients have a wide variety of needs related to basic needs, employment, housing, positive relationships, and having these needs met is crucial to their ability to avoid further encounters with the justice system.
   
• Talitha Cumi by Generation 2 Generation is for youth who identify as female, and focuses on self-awareness, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-identity, self-management, and self-worth through Circles and other activities. Facilitators work to engage parents in their child’s involvement with Talitha Cumi's group. They reach out via phone/text and can visit with parents at home or in the community. Circles have also been facilitated with parents and youth.
   
• World Youth Connect (WYC) is a diverse group of motivated young people from different cultural backgrounds and experiences who came together to make changes. WYC magnifies the importance of youth involvement in the community while creating a positive environment in hopes to increase youth voice in public.WYC offers:
  • Internship programs
  • Girls Leading Our World (GLOW), managing projects that advocate for female empowerment within our community.
  • Men’s Group, a near-peer mentorship program for young men, ages 14-24 to have a space where they can be themselves and to get to know each other. It is a near peer mentorship program that allow slightly older youth to mentor younger young people, with 1:1 and group setting peer and adult mentor.
  • Krispy Team, a youth digital design team that manages the WYC website and social media and creates partnerships with local organizations.
  • Celebration Team, which focuses on celebrating culture and holidays in the community. Youth come together to plan ways to give back and support our neighbors and partner organizations
  • Community conversations that are organized and facilitated by the youth, giving them a platform to address key issues like youth mental health that impact youth and the broader community.
  • Aim to Change (A.T.C.), a therapeutic way for young men to unpack trauma and build positive peer-to-peer relationships. ATC creates a safe space for participants to receive and provide support and makes opportunities for community participation through social events.
  • Youth Conquer, an after school mentorship program that partners with Saint Paul Public Schools. This program uses a nearby peer mentorship model in which older youth mentor middle schoolers in five middle schools on the east side of Saint Paul. Participants receive homework assistance, participants in culture identity workshops, leadership building activities, and receive future planning support.
  • YouthEat, a partnership with Fairview Health that exposes young people to healthy food choices and ensures all the youth and their families have access to healthy food.
  • Circle of Peace movement, an inter-generational weekly community gathering.
     
• Karen Organization of Minnesota Youth Case Management is a culturally specific program designed to meet the unique needs of Karen youth and families. Youth Case Managers work with multiple substance use disorder treatment providers to improve service quality and outcomes for the Karen community. Community-based interventions include providing bicultural case managers, engaging parents and cultural community leaders, and daily choices and actions that are aligned with Karen cultural approaches and preferences.
   
• Urban Village AYO (Asian Youth Outreach) focuses on providing one-on-one mentorship and resources for Karen and Karenni youth facing the inertia of violence, truancy, substance abuse, and other high-risk behaviors.  The Urban Village Inc. mentorship model includes bi-monthly group sessions where participants engage in activities, enjoy culturally relevant meals, and participate in discussions about their community experiences and ethnic identities. Each participant is paired with a mentor from their community (Karen or Karenni), who meets with them weekly for individual check-ins and support. The program also offers monthly field trips, tutoring sessions and an annual summer camp.