Kansas Juvenile Justice Code
The stated goal of the Kansas Juvenile Justice Code is to promote public safety, hold juvenile offenders accountable for such juvenile's behavior and improve the ability of juveniles to live more productively and responsibly in the community. Put simply, this allows the state to prosecute juveniles for crimes with rehabilitative measures as a consequence of adjudication as opposed to prison. However, if attempts at rehabilitation fail, an offender may be sentenced to a juvenile correctional facility.
What people should be aware of is that although a juvenile cannot receive a conviction in this Court (it's called an adjudication under the code). However, a juvenile adjudication for a crime can remain on a child's permanent criminal record for life. The difference between adjudication and conviction is virtually in name only. If adjudicated of an offense that requires sex offender registration, a juvenile will still have to register as a sex offender even though they are a minor.
For an older juvenile offender, many District Attorneys will choose to waive a child to adult status or to prosecute them with an Extended Jurisdiction Juvenile Prosecution. Adjudication with EJJP will allow the Court to give a juvenile dual sentences, juvenile and adult. A substantial violation of the juvenile sentence will result in the Court invoking the adult sentence, and this event could involve significant prison time.
The Juvenile Offender Courts have a number of resources available to help a child rehabilitate, and a majority of children who enter into the system do. But every parent should know that a juvenile adjudication can sometimes follow their child forever.
Oftentimes diversion is an option. Most Courts have what's called immediate intervention programs for first time offenders. Completion of this program results in the child not being adjudicated of an offense, and there is no criminal record. The statutes have recently changed what felonies are eligible for a diversion program, and many are not. Several juvenile offenses can also be expunged if they meet certain criteria. Expungement of an offense will result in the offense being erased from public record.