Juvenile Justice System

The Juvenile Justice system differs from the Adult Criminal Justice system. The adult system is criminal court. The juvenile system is civil court.

Yolo County Juvenile Justice Handbook 2008 - available in English, Spanish and Russian

Yolo County Juvenile Justice Plan 2008/2009

Other Reports

Juvenile Justice Statistics for 2007-2008 from the Davis Police Department - Youth Intervention.

The Juvenile Delinquency Court Assessment 2008 (JDCA) is the Judicial Council of California’s first comprehensive research study of how the superior courts of California handle delinquency matters. - Juvenile Delinquency Court Assessment 2008

Yolo County Juvenile Justice Commission - Commission to inquire into the administration of juvenile court law in Yolo County and to assist in the effort toward prevention and reduction of juvenile delinquency, as required by law.

Know Your Rights

Know Your Rights - see ACLU's publication about youth rights, including:

Trouble with the Law
Searches by school officials and police
Punishment and school discipline

Truancy

Curfew - Currently there is no juvenile curfew in Davis. However, Woodland and Yolo County have curfews that require anyone under 18 years old to be at home after 10:00 pm (11:00 pm during Summer) unless accompanied by a parent. For information on the legality of juvenile curfews, see Juvenile Curfews: The Rights of Minors vs. the Rhetoric of Public Safety

Local Information

Diversion Programs

Diversion programs allow 1st time offenders or youth responsible for minor crimes to be diverted away from the Juvenile Court. Diversion can be done at anytime from initial contact by the police officer to referral by the probation officer, the prosecutor, or even the Juvenile Court Judge. Diversion allows the child to access services without adjudication in Court.

Davis Police Department Youth Intervention - Davis Police Department's Youth Intervention Specialist runs an in-house youth diversion program for 1st time non-violent juvenile offenders.
Youth for Recovery - youth drug rehab program run by Communicare Health Center clinics. (Qualifies as a diversion program if not involving Juvenile Drug Court.)

Probation/Court Youth Services

Yolo County Probation - Juvenile Services

Probation Youth Services should not be confused with diversion programs. Services are offered to youth after adjudication and disposition by Juvenile Court. Youth are under the supervision of the Probation Officer and customarily a ward of the Court during these programs.

Yolo County Conservation Partnership - a program run jointly by the Yolo County Probation Department, the Yolo County Office of Education, the Yolo County Department of Mental Health and the California Conservation Corps.
Yolo County Juvenile Drug Court - uses Communicare's Youth for Recovery program as its treatment provider.
Aggression Replacement Training
Nurturing Parenting - educational program for parents and their children
Yolo County Probation Work Program

Education

Einstein Education Center - Alternative high school operated by Yolo County Office of Education
Midtown Community School - "Court" school in Yolo County.
Dan Jacobs School - the school within Juvenile Hall.

Woodland Public Library Literary Service - volunteer program that offers General Education Diploma and literacy services to juveniles in Juvenile Hall. Cal Aggie Article 10/11/06

Youth Detention

Yolo County Juvenile Hall

Houses Yolo County youth awaiting Court Hearings or serving a set period of detention. Yolo County has also contracted to accept youth offenders from rural Amador, Mariposa and Tuolomne counties. Sacramento County has contracted for up to 30 beds to ease crisis-level overcrowding in their own juvenile hall facilities. The federal government has also contracted for 5 beds to house undocumented youth offenders that are facing deportation. However, Yolo County youth will be given priority over out of county and federal youth offenders should the facility reach full capacity.