a North Carolina » Juvenile justice services

Basic services, 2022

• Overall

  Mostly state operated

• Detention

  Mostly state operated

• Probation

  State operated

• Reentry

  State operated

Purpose clauses, 2016

• No clause

• Parens patriae

• Due process era

• Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ)

• Developmental Approach

Corrections agency, 2015

• Independent juvenile corrections agency

• Family/child welfare agency or division

• Broad human services agency

• Adult corrections agency or division

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Corrections and Juvenile Justice administers commitments to state juvenile correctional facilities and reentry services for youth leaving those facilities.

Intake and diversion, 2016

Initial intake and diversion decision is at the discretion of the juvenile court intake officer.

Statutory time limits for pre- & post-petition court diversions exist.

Solitary confinement, 2016

• Prohibits punitive confinement

• Limits punitive confinement

• No limits on punitive confinement

• Did not respond

Solitary confinement for punitive purposes is allowed in certain North Carolina's juvenile correctional facilities for up to 10 days.  (Adapted from 51 Jurisdiction Survey of Juvenile Solitary Confinement Rules in Juvenile Justice Systems, 2016. Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest at Lowenstein Sandler LLP)

Release decision, 2016

• Agency

• Court

• Parole board

• Agency and court

Release decisions for youth committed to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Corrections and Juvenile Justice are the responsibility of the Department. Youth are released onto post-release supervision. Assessments are used to inform post-release supervision.

Risk assessment, 2020

In North Carolina, juvenile probation is administered by the Department of Public Safety, Division of Juvenile Justice. The use of a risk/needs assessment is required by statute. North Carolina uses the Assessment of Juvenile Risk of Future Offending and the North Carolina Assessment of Juvenile Needs.

The assessments are used to guide diversion from formal process decisions and informal adjustment planning, develop/inform pre-disposition investigation reports and/or planning develop probation disposition recommendations to the juvenile court, assign probation supervision level, and develop probation case plans.

Aggregate case level data from the assessments are used to assist with administration with organizational planning.

Sex offender registration, 2015

Registers

Risk instruments, 2017

• Statute or agency policy

  Required by state or administrative regulation

• Agency recommended

  Recommended by probation oversite agency

Risk instruments tool used

Assessment of Juvenile Risk of Future Offending & Assessment of Juvenile Needs

Mental health screening, 2014

Requires a research-based mental health screening

• Secure detention

• Probation

• Corrections

Mental health screening tool used

Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument –Version 2 (MAYSI-2)

In North Carolina, the Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice Services requires the use of a mental health screening tool. The Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAINS) is completed by a court counselor at intake to probation, before going to court, or after court (depending on the district).

The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument, 2nd Edition (MAYSI-2) is used for detention services and in correctional facilities called Youth Development Centers (YDCs) upon admission. Internal policies guide the use of mental health screening tools.

Frameworks for evidence-based practices, 2014

• Statute

  Supporting commitment to EBPs

• Administrative regulations

  Either in corrections, probation, or the juvenile court

• Support center

  Or collaboration dedicated to coordinating activities around implementing, evaluating, and sustaining EBPs

• No stance

  No official stance on EBPs

• Did not respond

  State did not respond to the survey

North Carolina supports evidence-based programs and practices (EBPs) in juvenile justice through a state statute which emphasizes supporting the funding of effective programming. The state financially supports the implementation of evidence-based practices by funding training and technical assistance opportunities.

The state also funds evaluation activities for the advancement of local programs through the Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol (SPEP). The SPEP was adopted to evaluate community programs funded by the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC). The JCPC provides funding to effective programs based on risk/needs data. The data collection system will include fields to enter the SPEP. The state actively conducts research and data collection to enhance the development and implementation of evidence-based programs. Programs funded by the state must report outcomes and performance measures.

Recidivism reporting, 2016

Study populations

The group(s) of youth being studied in states that publicly report recidivism data.

• Arrest

• Court action

• Supervision

• Placement

Re-offense events

Events that are used to measure recidivism in states that publicly report recidivism data.

• Arrest

• Court action

• Supervision

• Placement

Follow-up periods

Details regarding the length of time and frequency that youth are tracked in states that publicly report recidivism data.

36 months with adult systems reporting

Details

Additional levels of analysis provided in states that publicly report recidivism data.

• County

• Age

• Gender

• Race/ethn.

• Risk level

• Initial offense

• Re-offense

• Prior history

The North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission publishes recidivism data for youth brought to court with a delinquent complaint. Recidivism is defined as all subsequent delinquent complaints and adult arrests within three years. 

Data sources

Juvenile Recidivism Study: FY 2010/11 Juvenile Sample

North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission