Victims in juvenile proceedings have the same rights as those in adult proceedings. Unless the juvenile is waived into adult court to be prosecuted by district attorneys because their crime is very serious, the case is handled by the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) in the Department of Health and Social Services. In the least serious juvenile cases, the juvenile probation officer works with the parents, victims, schools, community groups, and others to hold the offender accountable without a court hearing. In more serious juvenile cases, the case may go before a judge for adjudication. Department of Law attorneys prosecute the case before the judge. These hearings are closed to the public; however, the victim has the right to attend all hearings that the offender has the right to, just as in adult proceedings.
DJJ also manages the youth correctional facilities in Alaska. DJJ is responsible for victim assistance and notification from arrest through release in these cases. Visit their web site for office locations and other information about juvenile justice in Alaska. See http://www.hss.state.ak.us/djj/default.htm.
The Judicial Council’s Handbook for Victims of Crime in Alaska also has a short description of how juvenile cases differ from adult cases. See http://www.ajc.state.ak.us/reports/VictMan01.pdf
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