The Madison County Juvenile Probation office has several Diversion Programs that target juveniles that commit crimes. The programs are designed to divert the juvenile from the court system and place them in programs that are specialized in delinquent behavior. The length of most Diversion Programs depends on the progress of the juvenile.

Madison County Juvenile Court uses Court Ordered Diversion Programs that are alternatives to the formal juvenile justice system for youth who have been charged with a minor crime. Madison County Juvenile Court has many programs to assist juveniles and address their needs while holding them accountable to the community.

The Family Project is a 10-week, court-ordered early intervention program designed to strengthen family relationships, reduce conflict and improve outcomes for court-involved youth. Therapists lead parallel group sessions for parents and youth focused on building

parenting skills, improving communication, addressing substance abuse and school issues, and promoting positive behavior and decision-making.

Parent sessions emphasize effective discipline, reducing family conflict, improving school performance and attendance, and recognizing and intervening in drug use, gang involvement, and negative peer influences. Youth sessions focus on anger management, conflict resolution, problem-solving, interpersonal skills, peer pressure, substance abuse awareness, school success, and building positive relationships with family, peers and adults.

The program serves up to 15 families per session, with four sessions offered annually. Participants attend weekly three- to four-hour group meetings, with limited absences permitted. Services are provided by Wellstone Agency, with facilitators able to refer families to additional mental health or substance abuse counseling as needed.

Failure to comply may result in additional court-ordered interventions, including electronic monitoring, in-home treatment, outpatient services or placement in other programs. The program’s goal is to increase protective factors for at-risk youth, reduce juvenile court involvement and out-of-home placements, and decrease family conflict, substance abuse and youth violence.

The Madison County Juvenile Court electronic monitoring program provides intensive community-based supervision for court-involved youth while promoting accountability and public safety. The program serves as a graduated sanction and home-detention alternative to secure custody and Alabama Department of Youth Services placement, allowing youth to remain in their communities while complying with court orders.

Electronic monitoring supports probation supervision and is used for juveniles awaiting court proceedings or those requiring increased oversight due to curfew violations, truancy, probation violations, repeat offenses, substance abuse treatment needs or community risk concerns. Youth who fail to comply may be referred to additional interventions, including in-home treatment, community service, outpatient counseling or placement in other treatment programs. The program’s goal is to reduce secure custody commitments while helping youth successfully complete probation.

Community Service is one requirement the Madison County Juvenile Court may impose on an adjudicated juvenile. Community Service provides juveniles an opportunity to give back to their

community, take ownership, and learn responsibility. Juveniles are required to work at a community agency or non-profit organization. Community Service has a value to the community and provides a youth with the understanding that it is important to contribute to our community. All Community Service is completed during non-school hours.

The Family In-Home Treatment (F.I.T.) program is an intensive, short-term, in-home intervention designed to strengthen families, reduce conflict and prevent out-of-home placement for court-involved youth. The 12-week program provides crisis intervention, family therapy, case management and educational and behavioral support to address issues including family violence, school problems, substance abuse and mental health needs.

A two-person treatment team visits the home and school at least three times a week to provide individual and family counseling, teach communication, discipline, anger management, conflict resolution and life skills, and offer 24-hour on-call crisis support. Licensed mental health providers deliver services and connect families to additional counseling or medication services as needed. A case manager transitions in during the final weeks to link families with community resources and ensure continued support.

The program serves as an alternative to detention or Alabama Department of Youth Services placement for high-risk youth. Failure to comply may result in additional court-ordered interventions, including electronic monitoring, community service, outpatient treatment or alternative placement. The program’s goal is to reduce re-arrest, probation violations and family instability while helping youth remain safely at home.

The Phoenix Program is a Madison County Juvenile Court delinquency prevention initiative for first-time adjudicated youth. Operated for more than 20 years and coordinated by juvenile probation officers, the 10-week program builds resiliency, improves decision-making, and discourages continued involvement in the juvenile justice system. The program relies on community volunteers and donations and uses structured courses to address conflict resolution, family relationships, substance abuse, school performance, and positive behavior.

Classes meet Tuesday evenings and are taught by volunteers from a range of professional backgrounds, including attorneys, medical and mental health professionals, business leaders, court officials and victim impact panels. A self-esteem component is led by the Redstone Army Officers panel. Youth also complete a community service project at the end of the program.

Instruction focuses on anger management, peer pressure, bullying, decision-making, interpersonal skills, substance abuse prevention, legal consequences of crime, healthy relationships, and goal setting. The program also promotes positive family interaction and provides parents guidance on effective discipline and reducing family conflict.

The mission of the Trauma Prevention program is to provide information regarding the consequences of dangerous decisions so teens can make a healthy, safe and informed decisions. The teens that we usually target have been charged in juvenile court with drug, alcohol, reckless endangerment, or assault offenses. The program is also available for teens that have been charged with other offenses and have tested positive for drugs. The class is conducted by a registered nurse employed with Huntsville Hospital’s Education Department. The teens are presented a three-hour course in which they watch a mock trauma performed by hospital staff including doctors and nurses in the emergency room. In addition, they watch videos, have discussion, and are taken on a tour through the hospital. During the tour they observe the morgue and the surgical intensive care unit where they enter the room of a patient who has sustained serious physical injury because of engaging in risky behavior.

The Sex Offender Probation Officer supervises cases that have been placed on Judicial Probation for sex offenses that require Outpatient or Inpatient Sex Offender Treatment Services. The Officer works closely with a Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider, assists in the registration of Sex Offenders and collects DNA samples when ordered by the Court. The families are also rendered services through this program.

The goal of the Madison County Drug Testing Program is to provide juvenile court with the availability of early detection of drug abuse for the purpose of early intervention. Through comprehensive testing the juvenile court can make appropriate referrals to out-patient counseling and residential treatment programs in efforts to combat continued delinquency and dependency. Drug testing is also focused on notifying parents at early stages of drug use and providing the resources that will allow parents to address their child’s issues before it becomes the responsibility of the courts. The goal of drug testing is also for probation officers to

properly assess each juvenile’s situation and to assist in recommending proper dispositions and creating adequate service plans to include assessment for participation in the Madison County Juvenile Drug Court program. Drug testing also allows for the courts to utilize private and State residential treatment programs such as the Bridge, Bradford and the Start Program in lieu of a commitment to ADYS. Madison County Juvenile Court is attempting to target early drug abuse and seeking treatment before the commission of another delinquent offense, thus resulting in placement at the ADYS. It is important to note that the drug testing program complements and enforces the success of the other programs included in the Madison County Juvenile Court Improvement Project. Each program in the Madison County Juvenile Court Improvement Project is designed to build on and interact with each other for maximum benefit and results. Each program is intended to fill gaps in services within the Madison County Juvenile Court System.

The Juvenile Conference Committee is an early intervention/prevention program which works towards diverting referred juvenile offenders from further involvement in the juvenile justice system. This Program Coordinator recruits and trains local community citizen to work with first time juvenile offenders through a structured volunteer program. The program relies on the volunteer to take an active role within their own community to assist the youth and their families. The objective of the program is to divert juvenile offenders from further involvement in the juvenile justice system by providing accountability for the juvenile behavior, educate families regarding community programs that might assist in resolving their issues, encourage parental involvement, and empower the community and encourage neighborhood collaboration.

The Panda Program is designed to provide education and intervention for youth that engage in high-risk behaviors. The program educates youth on how to avoid risky behavior through problem identification, improving decision making skills and practicing effective conflict resolution while developing principles of integrity and character. Parents/guardians are provided a supportive environment to learn new and creative ways to address the youth’s behavior and help their teen succeed in all areas of life. Group sessions will be personalized to address the most prevalent needs of the participants.

The Early Warning Program is a joint effort between the Huntsville City Board of Education, the Madison County Board of Education and the District Attorney’s Office. It is designed to reduce truancy and the number of student dropouts. The format of the program consists of a group session held every week in the Juvenile Justice Center. The purpose of the Early Warning Program is to share information concerning the legal requirements and school board policies pertaining to attendance – thus, an early warning. Additionally, an important part of the program is to offer help or assistance to parents and students with problems that may be interfering with attendance.