Author: Matt Jenkins, Communications Officer
When the age of juvenile jurisdiction increases (also known as Raise the Age) on Dec. 1, 2019, there will be new faces aplenty. Included among those are obviously the faces of the older youths that Juvenile Justice will now be serving, but they won’t be the first faces to show up. With Raise the Age comes the growing need to serve more kids, so we need new staff faces! William Lassiter, Deputy Secretary for Juvenile Justice, believes “opportunities for people to find a career in this field are continuing to emerge, so now is the time to bring your skills to our mission.”
The legislature approved and funded the first wave of hires for Raise the Age during the 2018 session – which means a number of positions are now available (across the state) within our Court Services section. These professionals process allegations of delinquent and undisciplined behavior by children; manage and supervise their cases; and provide (potentially) alternative programming paths to meet the assessed risks and needs of the youth and families. Andreana Leverette, a court counselor in Harnett County said, “I love that I am able to build relationships with the youth and their families and JJ leadership allows me the freedom to use creativity when getting to the root of issues to help them improve their lives. I feel like I make a difference – in a career that matters.”
We will also need new people within many of our juvenile detention and youth development centers, providing direct care and services in areas such as administration; behavioral specialists; healthcare; nutrition; transportation and education/vocational training. “The demands that come with Raise the Age point to growth throughout Juvenile Justice,” said Lassiter. “We especially have an ever-growing need in the eastern counties of the state, like Lenoir and Edgecombe.”
As the clock ticks toward its December launch date, and as Raise the Age becomes the normal operating face of Juvenile Justice, one thing is certain: there will be many new faces ahead. Come add your face to the team! If you’re interested in starting a rewarding career with Juvenile Justice, please visit the state human resources website today and apply!
Find out more about Juvenile Justice careers here.
[video:https://youtu.be/Wk_87Rssqzc]