Document Title: Importance of social workers to juveniles in court processes

Paper code: 13010

Justify the need for social workers to be present when juvenile client is in contact with the criminal court process.

Although the field of criminal justice social work is relatively new, the number of court cases and growing prison populations nationwide are creating a large demand for social workers with knowledge and/or experience within the criminal justice system. Thus there is no doubt that social workers play a big role in criminal court processes and especially in the case of juveniles.

A juvenile is a person who has not attained his eighteenth birthday, and "juvenile delinquency" is the violation of a law of committed by a person prior to his eighteenth birthday which would have been a crime if committed by an adult.

There are three levels of courts that can administrate juvenile justice: local councils, the children and family courts, and the High Court. Local councils are meant to play  a  central  role  in  the  administration of  juvenile  justice  legislation, but have  been „constrained by their lack of training on the law and on juvenile justice issues‟ and often refer   the   children   on   to   the   remand   homes.

Indeed, today, social workers serve as youth justice non-profit leaders, advocates, juvenile justice agency leaders, facility and community counselors, crisis responders, researchers, and direct support to youth in public defender offices.