Frequently Asked Questions about Juvenile Justice System Structure & Process

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Working for Youth Justice and Safety

Related FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) provide the latest answers to commonly asked questions about Juvenile Justice System Structure and Process. Here you will find information on the jurisdictional boundaries for delinquent and status offenders, the organization and administration of delinquency services, and state provisions for trying certain juveniles as adults in criminal court.

Jurisdictional Boundaries

What is a "juvenile"? [Answer]
Do juvenile courts lose jurisdiction over juvenile offenders when they turn 18? [Answer]
What types of violations constitute a status offense in each state? [Answer]
How are status offenders classified in each state? [Answer]

Organization & Administration of Delinquency Services

What type of agency administers community supervision (probation)? [Answer]
What type of agency administers aftercare services? [Answer]

Juveniles Tried as Adults

Are transfer (waiver) laws the only laws that enable states to impose adult sanctions on juvenile offenders? [Answer]
How do judicial waiver criteria vary by state? [Answer]
How do concurrent jurisdiction (prosecutorial discretion) provisions vary by state? [Answer]
How do statutory exclusion provisions vary by state? [Answer]
How do juvenile court blended sentencing provisions vary by state? [Answer]
What is the youngest age that a juvenile can be transferred to criminal court for trial as an adult? [Answer]
Have states made it easier for juveniles to be tried as adults in criminal court? [Answer]

Many of the FAQs presented here were developed for the State Training and Technical Assistance Center by the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ), with funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.