LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Applicants are being sought to fill vacancies on the Lake County Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Commission, a citizens’ panel that makes inquiries and recommendations into the administration of juvenile court in Lake County.
The Juvenile Justice Commission is created in California Welfare and Institutions Code, sections 225 through 231.
The mission of the Lake County Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission is to advocate and protect the safety and well-being of delinquent and dependent youth by continually improving prevention and intervention activities and services.
The primary duties of the Juvenile Justice Commission are:
– To annually inspect all publicly administered juvenile institutions, including Juvenile Hall, and to inspect annually any jail lockup within the County that is used for confinement of any minor for more than 24 hours, and to report the results to the Juvenile Court and county (Welfare & Institutions Code section 229).
– To inquire into the operation of any group home in the County that serves wards or dependent children of the Juvenile Court in order to review the safety and wellbeing of the wards and dependent children (Welfare & Institutions Code section 229.5)
– To inquire into the administration of juvenile justice in a broad sense including, but not limited to, the operations of the Juvenile Court, Probation Department, Social Services Agency, and any other agency involved in juvenile delinquency or dependency (Welfare & Institutions Code section 229).
– May make recommendations to the presiding judge of the Juvenile Court and to send copies of the recommendations to designated county departments.
Commission members should possess the following qualifications:
– Have a personal, professional, and/or academic interest in issues related to youth affected by the Juvenile Court.
– Be comfortable working as part of a diverse, multidisciplinary team.
– Have the skills necessary to gather and analyze information objectively; read and understand policies and procedures; read, write and evaluate written reports; and interview youth and juvenile justice professionals.
– Prospective members will be subject to a criminal history background investigation and fingerprint scan. Convictions, depending upon the type, number and how recent, may be disqualifying.
Interested applicants have until May 20 to apply for the commission, whose members serve a four-year term.
Applications are available on the court’s website at www.lake.courts.ca.gov or by calling 707- 263-2374.