College of Mount Saint Vincent CH1 to 3 Mandatory Counseling Questions

You are a juvenile court probation officer. You have a choice of programs including; mandatory counseling, family counseling, removal from the home and placing in foster care, diversion, incarceration in a youth home or mandatory participation in a 10 week boot camp. You must make recommendations to the judge for sentencing. You must use all the alternatives for the group and you can’t use more than one alternative twice. Make recommendations for each juvenile and explain your rationale. Note your difficulties and what further information you would have liked. Finally what is the overwhelming need for each person and how are you addressing that in your program.

Sally is 13 and lives in the suburbs of Fort Wayne. She was caught riding in a stolen car with two friends from high school. Sally has no record – her mother tells you that Sally was a model child until last year when her father died. Since then Sally’s grades have dropped and she has become unmanageable.

John is 16 and lives in Indianapolis. He has a long juvenile record dating back to when he was 10. John’s prior offenses include arson, disorderly conduct, larceny and assault (3). John was arrested for stealing lawn ornaments worth $23.00. John is unsupervised (no parental control) and missed his last probation meeting.

• Don is 14 and lives in the inner-city of Gary, Indiana. Don has no father and his mother is a crack addict. Don lives by himself for long periods of time. In the past Don was arrested for stealing food from a local bakery. Don admitted to the theft, but noted he hadn’t eaten in two days. Don was removed from home – but was returned to his mother one year later. Don was arrested for possession of crack cocaine – it was believed he was selling.
• Darlene is 12 and lives in the suburbs with her mother, step-father and new baby sister. Darlene has been in juvenile court a number of times in the past year for being a runaway. She was petitioned last month by her step-father for being incorrigible. Darlene refused to follow the family rules and is defiant to her step-father. Darlene is very intelligent and is openly disrespectful to her mother and step-father.
• Stephen Holmes is 16 and lives in Noblesville. His father is a salesman and his mother is an executive with General Advertising Inc. Stephen has a prior record for larceny. Last month Stephen got into a fight with his brother who is 17. After the fight was over Stephen took his father’s gun and shot his brother in the head instantly killing him.