PROGRAMS
This Court believes that a child in trouble is a family in trouble. Families of youth involved with the Court are found to have a variety of dysfunctions including physical and sexual abuse, neglect and substance abuse. In order for the Court to be effective with youth on probation, it is critical that families cooperate. Special programs have been developed to assist families of children on probation. They are:
ChARTing New Directions
An art program that provides interaction between youth and professional artist(s) while developing life skills. The program uses art as a creative process for personal development with youth.
A joint project with the Mobile Arts Council
STEPPING UP
A mentor/tutor program that matches college students with youth needing academic assistance.
A joint project with the Spring Hill College Foley Community Service Center and
Big Brothers / Big Sisters
CAPP
CHEMICAL ABUSE
PREVENTION PROGRAM
A four session drug/alcohol educational program for juveniles and parents.
A joint project with the Drug Education Council.
FIRST OFFENDER FOR ALCOHOL MINOR IN POSSESSION - A joint project with the Drug Education Council, the Underage Drinking Task Force, and the Victim’s Impact
An informal alternative to a juvenile court record for youth found to be in possession of alcohol. The program may include:
1. Minor and parent must complete the CAPP Program
2. Minor and parent must attend the Victim’s Impact Panel ($50.00 fee)
3. Minor will complete a minimum of 25 hours community service
JAM - Juvenile Anger Management
A 8 week program designed to help teens cope with anger through alternative behavior and skill enhancing techniques.
Ages 13-17 with a limit of 15 per group. This is a paid program. $50.00 per session.
Attendance ordered by the Juvenile Probation Officer.
A joint project with Lifelines Family Counseling Center Of Mobile, Inc.
S.T.O.P. - A local court ordered program for juvenile sexual offenders.
A joint project with DHR, Alta Pointe Mental Health and the Mobile County Health Department.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA AND UNIVERSITY OF MOBILE
The Court has entered into a partnership with the University of South Alabama and the University of Mobile to develop both an undergraduate and graduate level of Internship Program
At the University of South Alabama, the Sociology Department and the Political Science and Criminal Justice Departments provide undergraduate students who are required to spend 120 hours working with the Court. The graduate departments at the University of South Alabama in Psychology and Counseling provide students each who spend ad minimum of 900 hours of counseling with families of nondelinquent youth (C.H.I.N.) and the Crisis Center. The graduate program in Marriage and the Family at the University of Mobile provides students who spend 50 hours counseling with families.
PROBATION DEPARTMENT
The Probation Department provides supervision of all juveniles who are found to be delinquent, as per Title II if the Judicial Code of Alabama, and are place on formal probation to the Juvenile Court. Every juvenile is assigned to a probation officer who supervises the youth’s probation for a minimum of six months. All probation officers must have bachelor’s degree in a behavioral science and must be certified by the Alabama Department of Youth Services.
The probation officers maintain contact with juveniles on a regular basis and ensures that they are abiding by all the terms and conditions of probation.
This department supervises youths who reside in Mobile County and are on regular probation. Those on regular probation must meet with their probation officers once a month. They must be in school with passing grades or employed full time. They also have a nightly curfew of 7PM. Their driving privileges are suspended. They must pay court costs and restitution to victims when applicable. They must attend counseling programs as ordered. The court employees a full time Restitution Coordinator who works with juveniles and their victims in order to determine the amount of restitution each must pay.
The Mobile County Juvenile Court Probation Department has three levels of probation supervision: Administrative Supervision, Reporting Probation, and High Level.
The Probation level to which a youth may be assigned is dependent upon a number of factors. Those factors include, age, seriousness of the offense and record of previous offenses. For Administrative Supervision cases the court issues orders that the youth and family must comply with in order to be released from supervision. Formal terms of probation are not filed.
Reporting Probation requires that the youth meet with a Probation Officer and/or Court Staff at least once a month. Youth and parents/guardians must meet with the probation Officer as much as necessary. Formal terms of probation are filed.
High Level Probation requires that the youth and their parent/guardian must meet with a Probation Officer and/or Court Staff at least once a week. Most youth placed on High Level Probation have a suspended commitment to the Alabama Department of Youth Services. This level of Probation provides a high level of supervision while the offender lives in the community.
DISTRICT JUDGE
Judge Brown was elected to the current position, District Court, Place 5, in 1998, taking office January 19, 1999. This judgeship was created and assigned to the Juvenile Court of Mobile County to provide additional judicial resources for the Juvenile Court.
Judge Brown hears all dependency cases and oversees all child support/paternity cases, and supervises the referee assigned to those dockets.
Previous experience:
1989 - 1/19/1999:Juvenile Court Referee
1986 – 1989: Assistant District Attorney assigned to Juvenile Court.
1980 – 1986: Private practice of law.
1977 – 1980: Staff Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Mobile.
Education:
B. A., Political Science, University of South Alabama, 1974