Juvenile Probation
Juvenile Probation provides direct supervision to juveniles from the age of 10 to 21 who have committed delinquent acts under the age of 18. Juvenile Probation receives complaints and allegations from police departments and district magistrates in Erie County. If you received a letter requesting your presence at an intake appointment, this is because your child is alleged to have committed a delinquent act.
Courts
What is an intake appointment?
Intake appointments are fact-gathering sessions with the juvenile, guardian and intake officer. The youth and guardian are presented with the allegations/charges filed against the youth. Information is presented and gathered, releases of information are signed and initial recommendations are made by the intake officer. It is important that the youth and guardian appear for this meeting to discuss the allegations/charges filed with the department; failure to appear for the intake appointment will result in a warrant for the youth’s arrest.
If you have any further questions please contact our intake department at juvintake@eriecountypa.gov.
If you have misplaced the intake packet that was mailed to you, you may download a new intake packet.
Do I need a lawyer?
It is your right to hire a lawyer and bring him/her with you to the intake appointment. However, you do not need to bring a lawyer to the appointment. The youth will be assigned a lawyer from the Public Defender’s Office after the intake appointment is completed. If the youth was detained by the police, the youth will be assigned a lawyer immediately to represent them at the Detention Hearing and all future court hearings, should you not hire one.
What is a detention hearing?
Detention Hearings are held within 72 hours of a youth being removed from the home by the Juvenile Probation Department for committing serious delinquent acts or for outstanding warrants. The hearing is held on the fourth floor of the Erie County Courthouse in the Juvenile Probation Department. The juvenile, guardian, lawyer assigned, District Attorney, police officer who filed the charges and the detaining probation officer will be present for this hearing. This hearing determines if the youth will remain detained at the detention center/probation shelter or if the youth will be released on the electronic monitor to the custody of their guardian pending further court hearings.
Crime Victim Center
The Crime Victim Center is a nonprofit organization that provides services to victims and witnesses of crime. Within the Juvenile Probation Department, these services are available to victims of juvenile crime. A victim advocate is stationed in Juvenile Probation to assist with restitution claim forms and victim impact statements, answer questions regarding cases and restitution, provide counseling support, and accompany victims to court proceedings. Advocates can also answer questions related to the Juvenile Justice System and court appearances.
Questions or concerns can be answered by the Victim Witness Coordinator at 814-451-6220. Claim forms can be faxed to 814-451-7070, or emailed to juvprobation@eriecountypa.gov.
If you have misplaced the claim form that was mailed to you, you may download a new Victim Claim Form.
Internship Opportunities
Internships are available through the Erie County Juvenile Probation Department year round. We accept two interns per semester. To apply, you must be a junior or senior attending an accredited college or university majoring in a related field such as criminal justice, social work or psychology. Interns will have hands-on experience working with probation officers completing family, home and school visits. Interns will also complete court summaries and will present a case in the courtroom to the judge.
To get started, you will need to submit a letter of interest, your schedule for the semester for which you are applying, a résumé and finally a letter from your adviser stating that you are in good standing and meet all the requirements at your college or university. Once received, you will be scheduled for an interview with the internship supervisor and probation officer from the department.
If chosen for the internship, you will be required to obtain your Criminal History Clearance, Child Abuse Clearance and FBI fingerprints.
For more information about internship opportunities, contact the internship supervisor.
