Juvenile Justice

About the Division

The mission of Juvenile Justice:

  • Hold juvenile offenders accountable for their behavior;
  • Promote the safety and restoration of victims and communities; and
  • Assist offenders and their families in developing skills to prevent crime.

This mission is based on the “restorative justice” model that seeks to support public safety through graduated incentives and sanctions, with the expectation that offenders must personally take part in restoring and repairing the harm caused as a result of their behavior. The division also works to prevent crime by supporting competency and skill development for offenders so they have alternatives to law-breaking behavior.

Who and where we are

The division of Juvenile Justice has sixteen field offices and eight youth facilities, divided into four geographical management areas (Anchorage, Northern, Southcentral, and Southeast Alaska). Southeastern Region Anchorage Region Anchorage Juneau Sitka Prince of Wales Ketchikan Southcentral Region Kodiak Home Barrow Northern Region Kenai Valdez Bethel Kotzebue Nome Fairbanks Matsu/Palmer

Probation

Field offices are staffed by juvenile probation officers, whose range of responsibilities include: conducting intake investigations of youth alleged to have committed delinquent acts; completing detention screening; implementing diversion plans; and initiating formal court action for juvenile offenders. These officers work closely with families, local organizations, and other agencies to keep juvenile offenders from continuing their criminal behavior. The juvenile probation officers also are responsible for supervising the significant number of juvenile offenders not held in residential programs or facilities, but who remain in their homes or other community settings while on probation.

Facilities

Juvenile Justice has eight facilities that provide secure detention for youth who have been charged with an offense and are awaiting a judgment on its outcome. These facilities are located in Bethel, Nome, Anchorage, Palmer, Kenai, Fairbanks, Juneau and Ketchikan. Four of these facilities (Bethel, Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau) also provide treatment services for youth who have been committed to longer-term confinement because of serious, violent, chronic delinquent behavior.

Continue to Performance Measures