What does the Juvenile Justice Secretary do?

Submitted by ryanteaguebeckwith on December 5, 2008 - 1:59pm.
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Answer:

Supervises the state's interactions with young criminals and at-risk youth.

As head of the N.C. Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the governor-appointed secretary oversees juvenile court services and crime prevention programs.

Divisions include the Center for the Prevention of School Violence, the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and community programs.

In North Carolina, youths age 15 and under are tried through the juvenile justice system. Those 16 and older are tried as adults.

The department was created in July of 2000 under Gov. Jim Hunt. It is the youngest of 10 Cabinet-level positions in North Carolina.

The first secretary was former Winston-Salem police chief George Sweat. He served through the final months of Gov. Mike Easley's second term. His successor, current Secretary Linda Wheeler Hayes, is the first woman to head the department.

The department is outlined in general statutes under Article 12 of G.S. 143B.

Brief:
Supervises the state's interactions with young criminals and at-risk youth.
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