Juvenile Prosecution Unit

What is the goal of the DA's Juvenile Prosecution Unit?

The Boulder DA's Juvenile Prosecution Unit, staffed with two attorneys, one paralegal, and a victim/witness advocate, seeks timely and effective interventions and consequences to delinquent children, maintaining the child within his or her family, school and community if possible.

Are juveniles treated the same as adults in the criminal courts?

No, in the spirit of the Colorado Children's Code, which mandates that the juvenile justice system secure for each (delinquent) such care and guidance, preferably in his own home, as will best serve his welfare and the interests of society, the juvenile justice system focuses on treatment and rehabilitation more than punishment.

Not all kids who get in trouble need the same consequences. What range of outcomes do the Juvenile Deputy DA's have to offer?

The Deputy DA has a number of options, depending on the youth's underlying problems, prior record, and the nature of the offense.

• First time felony offenders or misdemeanants may be offered Juvenile Diversion, a variety of alternatives to traditional juvenile court.
• Kids with repeat delinquencies or more serious delinquent behavior are brought into the court system in order to obtain firmer consequences, including detention, and more structured supervision of compliance with rehabilitative efforts for up to two years.
• Finally, the most severely delinquent youth may be sentenced to the Department of Youth Corrections for up to two years.