By Jennifer Jenson, Denton County Juvenile Probation Department Working in the juvenile justice field, most cases are the same yet all cases are different. A juvenile may not have good role models as parents, the family living situation has changed or is chaotic, one or neither parent is present, the juvenile has limited intellectual ability, or the juvenile has succumbed to alcohol and drugs or possibly gang activity. Generally, a juvenile will fall into one or all of these scenarios. For Jasmin Williams (not her real name), most of these situations applied to her juvenile case. At a very early age, Jasmin was removed from her mother and father and she was adopted by her mother’s father. The mother and father had an extensive history of drug use and criminal activity. The grandfather provided for both Jasmin and her older brother. Some extended family on Jasmin’s mother’s side provided support as well. The grandfather, brother, and Jasmin found their way to Denton, Texas from Wisc...
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department: Transforming Young Lives and Creating Safer Communities