Juvenile

As a department, we place a high priority on providing you, the public with the information about the outcomes we experience with youth involved in the juvenile justice system, services we provide throughout our community, and the general state of juvenile justice in Douglas County.

The Juvenile Department is responsible for promoting public safety by holding youth who have committed law violations accountable for their delinquent acts, providing youth with opportunities to restore their victims and the community, and for offering reformation services to assist youth in becoming productive and responsible citizens. The Department also assists the District Attorney's Office in processing cases of child abuse and neglect through the court system. The Department works closely to fulfill their duties with the following groups:

  • Community members
  • The court
  • Law enforcement agencies
  • Schools
  • Service providers
  • Other stakeholders

Divisions

The Juvenile Department consists of the following divisions:

Mission & Guiding Values

The mission of the Douglas County Juvenile Department is to promote public safety by holding youth accountable for delinquent acts, providing youth with opportunities to restore their victims and our community, and offering reformation services to assist youth in becoming productive and responsible citizens.

Guiding Values

  • We believe that our community's interests of public safety and reformation of youth are best served by promoting the development and delivery of a balanced continuum of high quality, evidence-based services to youth and families which includes prevention, intervention, continuing care services, and accountability to victims.
  • We are committed to the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct in our roles as public servants.
  • We will honor our duty to the public to be financially responsible for the management of our time and resources.
  • We will model the highest levels of professionalism in our contacts with the public and with each other, treating people with respect, acting with integrity, and dealing with conflict in a sensitive and honest manner.
  • We will endeavor to preserve family unity and maintain support systems by providing services to youth within the home and in our community whenever possible.
  • We will provide leadership in the community as we work collaboratively with our partners, citizens, and other professionals in developing a comprehensive array of services for youth offenders and victims.
  • We recognize the diverse strengths and skills of all our coworkers and value the contributions each makes as we collectively strive to achieve our important mission.
  • We are committed to the development of our skills and education as juvenile justice professionals, and supportive of a culture of learning and creativity.
  • Progress toward achieving the Mission of the Douglas County Juvenile Department would not be possible without all the collaborations, We will continually focus on improvement and partnerships, and contributions of many individuals, volunteers, businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. They achieving excellence by monitoring and evaluating the provide many services, opportunities, and donations that are critical to keeping our community safe and transforming our youth into the effectiveness of the services and programming we productive citizens. We recognize, appreciate, and thank each of you for helping to make a difference!