Juvenile Intervention Council Published Jan. 22, 2015 By 412th Test Wing Judge Advocates office EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- On Sept. 9, 2014, an article was posted on the Edwards AFB website and in the Desert Wings titled, "Vandalism costs school district $12,000," which concerned damage to Bailey Elementary School. This article serves to inform the Edwards AFB community of the steps the 412th Test Wing has taken to address not only that instance of vandalism, but also other acts of misconduct committed within our community. Last November, Brig. Gen. Michael Brewer, 412th Test Wing commander, established a Juvenile Intervention Council for Edwards AFB. The JIC was established by EDWARDSAFBGM2014-51-01, Juvenile Intervention Council (JIC), which is available at www.e-publishing.af.mil . This guidance memorandum establishes policies, responsibilities and procedures for the administrative disposition of misconduct committed by juveniles on Edwards AFB. Any recommendations made by the JIC will be designed to attain the primary goal of maintaining good order and discipline on Edwards AFB and, if possible, rehabilitating the juvenile. It bears mentioning that the JIC has already once convened and more JIC meetings are pending. The initial JIC meeting disposed of, in part, the Bailey Elementary vandalism; the JIC investigated misconduct on base, determined the juveniles involved and issued sanctions commensurate with each juvenile's involvement, up to and including barment. The success of the JIC to date has been made possible by the collaboration between the installation commander, 412th Mission Support Group, 412th Security Forces Squadron and the Edwards Legal Office. Notwithstanding the existence of this guidance memorandum, AFI 51-905, "Use of Magistrate Judges for Trial of Misdemeanors Committed by Civilians," and the Federal Magistrate's Court program, will continue to apply to all offenses committed on base by civilians. Accordingly, crimes committed on base can and will continue to be prosecuted in federal court. Purpose of the JIC The JIC is designed to: -Maintain good order, morale, and discipline on Edwards AFB -Educate juveniles and their sponsors on the consequences of misconduct and crime -Rehabilitate juveniles -Protect the best interests of both the juvenile and the Edwards AFB community. Accordingly, the system avoids labeling the juveniles with the stigma of "criminal" or "delinquent." Jurisdiction of the JIC The JIC applies to all juveniles who are suspected to have engaged in misconduct on Edwards AFB, including: -Juvenile dependents of personnel stationed at Edwards AFB (to include all tenant units) -Juvenile dependents of active duty or retired military personnel using Edwards AFB facilities -Juvenile dependents of Department of Defense civilians or contractors -Non-base affiliated juveniles who are attending school on Edwards AFB -Any other juvenile on Edwards AFB for any reason. Scope of the JIC The JIC will adjudicate cases involving non-traffic offenses, including, but not limited to, simple/non-aggravated assault, battery, vandalism, trespassing, or other types of cases at the discretion of the 412th TW commander. Certain rehabilitative measures, such as community service, may only be imposed by the JIC if the juvenile agrees to submit to the JIC's jurisdiction. Participation by the juvenile in the JIC program is voluntary; however, certain administrative sanctions may be taken immediately upon commission of an offense against a juvenile even if the juvenile refuses to submit to the jurisdiction of the JIC. For example, the 412th TW commander retains the authority, under AFI 31-101, to bar the juvenile from base or terminate base housing privileges for the juvenile and/or the juvenile's family. Rescission of administrative sanctions, such as reinstatement of privileges, may be contingent upon the juvenile's consent to the jurisdiction of the JIC and satisfactory completion by the juvenile and/or his or her sponsor of rehabilitative measures recommended by the JIC and directed by the 412th TW commander. Procedure If suspected of an offense and offered an opportunity to appear before the JIC, the juvenile and his/her parent(s)/sponsor(s) will be notified of the day and time the JIC will convene. The JIC will decide whether the juvenile was involved in the alleged misconduct. The juvenile and his/her parent(s)/sponsor(s) may present any relevant information, facts, or circumstances for consideration by way of witness testimony or exhibits. Possible sanctions include, but are not limited to: -Referral of the juvenile and/or sponsor to Family Advocacy, Life Skills, or other agency for counseling -Placement of certain base areas and/or facilities off-limits to the juvenile -Imposition of a curfew other than the normal base curfew -Restriction of access to base functions -Suspension or revocation of any or all base privileges -Recommendation of barment to 412th TW commander -Recommendation of termination of on-base family housing to 412th TW commander and/or assignment to the juvenile of a specified number of hours of community service on or off Edwards AFB. The 412th Test Wing will not tolerate instances of misconduct committed within our community and will continue taking the steps necessary to ferret out crime. As always, if you see anything suspicious, contact security forces at 661-277-3340, or call 911 in the case of an emergency.