Applicants Sought: San Diego County Juvenile Justice Commission

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — Applicants were being sought Wednesday to fill a vacancy on the San Diego County Juvenile Justice Commission, a citizens' commission that makes inquiries and recommendations into the administration of juvenile court law in San Diego County.

Interested applicants have until May 3 to apply for the commission, which generally has its members serve four-year terms, though appointments are to fill mid-term vacancies and will initially be for a shorter length of time.

Applications can be found by visiting sdcourt.ca.gov/Juvenile and selecting "Juvenile Justice Commission."

According to a San Diego Superior Court statement, the primary duties of the commission include:

-- to annually inspect all publicly administered juvenile institutions, including Juvenile Hall and Ranch facilities, and to inspect annually any jail lockup within the county that is used for the confinement of any minor for more than 24 hours, and to report the results to the Juvenile Court and county.
-- to inquire into the operation of any group home in the county that serves wards or dependent children of the Juvenile Court in order to review the safety and well-being of the wards and dependent children.
-- to inquire into the administration of juvenile justice in a broad sense including, but not limited to, the operations of the Juvenile Court, Probation Department, Social Services Agency, and any other agency involved in juvenile delinquency or dependency.
-- to make recommendations to the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court and to send copies of the recommendations to designated county departments.

The statement also says commission members should possess the following qualifications:

-- have a personal, professional, and/or academic interest in issues related to youth affected by the Juvenile Court;
-- be comfortable working as part of a diverse, multidisciplinary team;
-- have the skills necessary to gather and analyze information objectively; read and understand policies and procedures; read, write, and evaluate written reports; and interview youth and juvenile justice professionals.

Commission members are paid a stipend of $25 per meeting, with a maximum of two meetings per month.

Prospective members will be subject to a criminal history background investigation and fingerprint scan. Convictions, depending upon the type, number, and how recent, may be disqualifying.

— City News Service