Citizen Review Panel

The Citizen Review Panel program utilizes volunteers to conduct legally mandated reviews of the status and welfare of children placed by the Juvenile Court in the legal custody of the Fulton County Department of Family and Children Services to ensure that reasonable efforts are being made to reunify the family or otherwise provide permanency for a child. The program uses volunteers to staff panels which meet periodically to review cases and to ensure that all case plans are appropriate for the family’s needs.

Community Restorative Boards

Community Restorative Boards exercise a prevention strategy to divert first-time, non-violent minor offenders from the formal court process. Sworn citizen volunteers sit on seven Restorative Boards that serve five Atlanta neighborhoods and North and South Fulton County. Citizenry are trained to conduct face-to-face conferences with youth and their parents or guardians. The nature of the offense and its negative consequences are discussed and sanctions to hold the offender accountable are addressed. Sanctions include letters of apology to the victims; community service; restitution; counseling, etc. Probation Officers work with the youth and family to ensure compliance with sanctions issued by the Boards. If the youth completes all sanctions and does not reoffend, the case is dismissed and the youth’s record is sealed.

The Learning Club

The Learning Club is an educational program that serves students within the court system ages 11-17 that have been convicted of misdemeanor crimes. The program provides an alternative to spending time in a juvenile treatment facility. These students are court mandated to attend sessions every Saturday from 12-3PM.

This program provides an opportunity for assessment & mentorship, thought provoking discussion, experience with cultural activities and exposure to college and career opportunities. Often times labeled “at risk” because they are burdened by factors that might impede the learning process, The Learning Club seeks to serve as a protective factor among the many “risk factors” that these students face daily.

The Mediation Program

The Mediation Program is an integral part of both the Probation and Dependency Units... Mediation is used to divert cases from the court that are more appropriately resolved by collaborating with the parties involved. Mediation fosters an environment where the child is directly accountable for his or her actions, addresses the victim’s needs, and models conflict resolution techniques for children and their families. Mediation allows the parties to meet in a private setting where a neutral person, the mediator, helps them to work out a solution to their problems.

SEALING YOUR JUVENILE CASE

How do I apply to seal my case records? File a petition with the Fulton County Juvenile Court using one of the forms provided on our website. Please click this link to review the more information on Record Sealing. Also, click on this link to review the record Sealing flyer.