The main purpose of the JRO – Case Manager program is to reduce truancy in Hill County by having early inventions provided by a juvenile case manager/juvenile resource officer.
Truant students are more likely to drop out of school and are powerful indicators that the student will begin using drugs and committing criminal offenses. Truancy can be a precursor to juvenile delinquency, incarceration, gang violence and unemployment.
The juvenile case manager/juvenile resource officer will investigate all truancy referrals provided by the school districts and law enforcement. Early intervention provides the student and/or caregiver with the opportunity to address the issues related to the truancy prior to a case ever being filed with the truancy court.
If the case is referred to the truancy court, the juvenile case manager/juvenile resource officer will monitor progress of the orders of the court and will report information of success/failures to the truancy court judge and county attorney’s office.
Further, the juvenile case manager/juvenile resource officer will act as a liaison between the schools and juvenile probation department in issues related to school safety and security, juvenile law, and education regarding truancy laws.