The Juvenile Hall is a maximum security detention facility for juveniles who have committed offenses prior to their eighteenth birthday.  Juveniles who are arrested and not released by law enforcement agencies are delivered into the Probation Officer's custody at Juvenile Hall. Those minors who are detained by the Juvenile Court are kept in custody pending completion of their court proceedings. The Hall is also used by the Juvenile Court as a commitment facility for minors who require a period of incarceration as part of their final disposition.  While in Juvenile Hall, minors are provided with a healthy, safe environment that keeps them securely detained. Standards require a comprehensive program which includes education, recreation, counseling, health and religious activities.

All minors who are arrested by law enforcement agencies are referred to the Probation Department, either by the issuing of a citation or by booking into the Juvenile Hall.  A Probation Intake Officer investigates the minor's delinquent behavior and other circumstances and may dispose of the referral by counseling and releasing the minor, referring the minor and/or family to a community counseling agency, placing the minor on informal probation for up to one year, or referring the minor to the District Attorney for formal charging in Juvenile Court.

Following the conviction of an adult or the adjudication of a juvenile, many cases are referred to the Probation Department for a report and recommendation prior to sentencing.  The Probation Officer's investigation consists of a thorough review of all available information, interviews with concerned parties, and a careful evaluation of all relevant circumstances.

Recommendations in Juvenile Court range from release to parents (Home Supervision - Probation), fines, incarceration in Juvenile Hall, removal from parental custody for placement in foster or boarding home care, or a commitment to the California Youth Authority.  Juvenile recommendations also center around a grant of probation or informal handling with a plan to be effective in rehabilitation.

Adult sentencing recommendations are primarily concerned with the granting or denying of probation and issues of the length and place of incarceration. Offenders who are unsuitable for probation but who have serious narcotic problems or a mental disorder are identified for special handling by the prison system. In both juvenile and adult investigations, the Probation Department makes recommendations for the specific conditions of Probation required in each individual case. Whenever possible, it is recommended that the court order the offender to make restitution to his/her victim.

Supervision on probation is a penal sanction ordered by the court for those offenders who do not appear to require long term incarceration. Probation orders contain specific conditions intended to monitor, control and assist the probationer in leading a law abiding life in the community. The level or type of supervision receives is determined by a validated risk/needs assessment.

Probation Officers are sworn peace officers who implement and enforce the conditions of probation ordered by the court by combining authoritative case work with enforcement techniques, such as surveillance, searching for contraband, testing for drug or alcohol use, and others. When probationers fail to abide by the court's orders, the Probation Officer is responsible for returning the case to court for further sentencing, which frequently entails returning the probationer to secure custody in jail or juvenile hall.

The Department also includes Juvenile and Adult Drug Courts designed to offer counseling and follow-up to enable drug offenders an opportunity to escape the hold of drugs and provide a means for the client to become a productive member of the community.