Those juveniles that are considered to be "serious" or repeat offenders are assigned to the Juvenile Calendar for an Arraignment Hearing before the Judge of the Court. Those youth whose alleged offenses do not fit into the "serious" category and/or do not have multiple petitions filed against them, will be notified to appear for an Intake Conference. Those youth and their parent(s)/guardian(s) will be notified by letter as to where and when to appear for the conference. Conferences are scheduled in Providence, Newport, and Washington County courthouses.

At the conference, the juvenile is advised of the pending "charges", as well as, his/her Constitutional Rights. The juvenile and parent(s)/guardian(s) are informed that they do not have to participate in this informal process, and may elect to have the matter heard before a Judge of the Court. If this request is made, the matter is placed on the Court Calendar and the family is notified of the next court appearance.

If the juvenile admits to the offense and is cooperative, the case may be resolved at this time. The Juvenile Services Supervisor/Counselor will then set fourth conditions which will require compliance.

Once the Conditions of the Informal Conference are signed, a formal petition can still be filed before the court at a later date should the juvenile clearly and willfully fail to comply.

This process of Informal Conferences for offending youth serves to reduce the volume of juvenile cases being prosecuted before the court, and provides the opportunity for families to avoid time-consuming and costly hearings. In addition, the family will have the opportunity to discuss their concerns regarding the offense within a confidential setting.

The following is a list of commonly asked questions regarding the Intake Process: