Probation can be unsupervised or supervised. Unsupervised probation is when the juvenile must stay out of trouble for a certain period of time. Supervised probation has the same concept, but a probation officer keeps track of the juvenile s progress. The juvenile must check in with the appointed probation officer once a week for a certain period of time. The probation period is determined by the court system.
Juveniles can stay on probation until the age of twenty-one.
The court can also take juveniles from their families and send them to adolescent homes. These homes are set up to direct them how to become a productive member of society. Under certain circumstances, depending on what a juvenile is accused of, in the state of Virginia juveniles can be tried in the court as an adult at the age of fourteen. The success rate of the programs furnished by the 8 th Judicial District Court Service Unit is average according to W. Charles Mann. As probation supervisor of Hampton juvenile court, he has been working in the system for 28 years.