JAC History
In the fall of 1993, following the Summer of Violence in Denver, the Jefferson County District Attorney convened a juvenile summit in Jefferson County. A cross-section of the community was invited to help find a better way to respond to juveniles in the justice system. Participants included the District Attorney's Office, law enforcement, the School District, the Department of Human Services, the Jefferson Center for Mental Health, judges, parents, and teens.
There the concept of a juvenile assessment center was born. Everyone agreed that we needed a front-end approach to the majority of at-risk juveniles coming into the system, most whom are non-violent first-time offenders. Over the next year and a half this group would create a plan as to the role of each agency and how the center would be funded.
In 1994, also in response to the Summer of Violence, Senate Bill 94 was passed requiring that funds would be pumped into the front end of the juvenile justice system to help reduce violent crime and juvenile recidivism.
The Jefferson County Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC) opened its doors 1995. The R1 School District contributed the property and the temporary buildings on Johnson Road where the JAC has been housed for the last 13 years. A federal grant and Senate Bill 94 funds helped county officials begin to provide critical services to juvenile offenders. The other original funders were the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, the R-1 School District, the District Attorney's Office, Jefferson Center for Mental Health and the Department of Human Services.
The Juvenile Assessment Center is now housed in the newly acquired Remington Building, where all of the County's juvenile justice services are under one roof. JAC staff, Juvenile Diversion staff, and Juvenile Probation staff can better work together to provide an immediate response to juveniles at the front end of the justice system to better reduce violent crime and redirect kids to more productive lives.
Last Modified: Aug 7, 2009 03:19 PM
