The Missoula Youth Court Home Arrest Program is designed to manage qualified clients in either a supervised home setting or a supervised shelter care/group/therapeutic home facility. The majority of Home Arrest referrals are the result of a District Court order to screen a potential youth for placement. Probation Officers may also make referrals to the program for youth who are presently not in custody.
The program is staffed by officers whose primary supervision tasks are:
Once screened and accepted, program officers perform random, daily visual and telephonic verification checks on clients. Clients are under a District Court directed supervision contract throughout their tenure of the program. A violation of form or format may result in an immediate placement in custody.
An outline of the program follows:
Home Arrest Overview
The Home Arrest format has been in existence in Missoula County for over 30 years. It is a residential confinement program (and as such, an alternative to secure detention) which tracks clients 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. District Court Judges and Juvenile Probation Officers refer clients to the program on a wide array of charges.
Random, daily contact is made by means of telephonic and visual verification checks. Officers in the program write reports, attend requisite client meetings, and confer with a number of agencies in the juvenile justice arena. The bottom line for all violations of Home Arrest is detention.
A. Definition
Home Arrest is defined as the court ordered placement of juveniles under the direct supervision of court appointed officers for the purpose of 24-hour surveillance.
B. Outline of Purpose
The intent of the program is to allow the juvenile to remain within the setting of his/her own household or a court directed alternative household/placement setting under the direct supervision of Home Arrest Program personnel while awaiting judicial proceedings.
The juvenile is contacted on a random, daily basis by program officers via telephone and an average of at a minimum, one face-to-face contact per day. Peripherally, the program also aids the Juvenile Probation Officers and related court services by tendering information that may at times be crucial as regards a youth's individual case.
C. Objectives
•Achieve compliance with the federal mandate pertaining to juvenile jail removal issues
•Provide a systematic, viable, and cost-effective alternative for supervising juvenile charges
•Establish a liaison between the Court/Juvenile Probation Office and the youth held under Home Arrest supervision
•Facilitate the opening of effective channels of communication between the parent/guardian, the court system and the juvenile
Home Arrest Screening Procedure
Typically, after a court hearing, the attending Juvenile Probation Officer returns to Youth Court and advises Home Arrest staff of the request for screening. If screening is requested by the probation officer, the process begins in house. HAP staff makes every attempt to screen potential candidates within 48 hours (excluding weekend and holidays). Screening is a multifaceted process involving information gathering from the following sources:
•Parents
•Prospective Client
•Juvenile Probation Officer
•School Administrator and Teachers
•Counselors
•Therapist
•Employers (where appropriate)
•Prosecutor
•Defense Counsel
•Detention Staff
•Victims (where appropriate)
•Arresting/ticketing Officer
In making their recommendation to the court, Home Arrest staff concentrates on:
•Recent and past involvement with Youth Court
•Nature of the present allegations
•Current behavioral issues at home, school and in the community
•Response to treatment and or counseling
•Long–range plans of the Juvenile Probation Officer
•Likelihood to abscond
•Positive or “protective” factors present in the youth's life
•Attitude and behavior while in detention (if applicable)
Please note a directive to screen a youth does not mean the youth in question will be released to Home Arrest. If release and placement on Home Arrest is warranted, staff will coordinate release and intake times with the parent/guardian in order to explain the program and sign the requisite materials. If it is determined release in not supported, Home Arrest Program staff tenders a written report to all court involved parties outlining the reasons for denial.