Community Supervision (Probation)

About Probation

The Community Supervision (Probation) Unit screens all Juvenile Court referrals, makes recommendations to the court regarding the need for detention, prepares predisposition reports, and directly supervises youthful offenders. Probation staff assigned to this department work with individual youth and families to provide relevant rehabilitative juvenile probation services and programs consistent with community standards and public safety. 

Probation Transformation

In 2015, Pierce County Juvenile Court was one of only two counties in the nation to receive a Probation Transformation grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The Transformation grant is a unique opportunity to rethink the way probation departments partner with families and communities to support positive youth development. The effort includes multiple partners: families and youth, judges, prosecutors, probation staff, detention staff, court administrators, University of Washington researchers and the local family support organization, A Common Voice. In 2016, even more community agencies will join the effort as programs currently in planning stages are launched.

Click Probation Transformation: Year in Review for more information.

Probation Units

Units within this department are:

• Alternative Detention Services 
• Community Supervision
  This unit provides community supervision to moderate- and high-risk youth who are placed on probation by the court. The needs of the youth and family are determined by a risk assessment process which is administered to every youth prior to being placed on probation. The risk assessment process enables the probation officer, the youth and family to focus on certain domains in his/her life that contribute to the offending behavior. The youth and family are referred to services to address these areas. While providing case management services to the families, probation officers are also responsible for ensuring accountability and community safety.