General FAQs

“Adjudicated” is a judicial finding that a juvenile is a status offender or delinquent.

An “absconder” is a juvenile probationer or parolee who hides or conceals him/herself with the intent to avoid legal process or authorized control.

Probation and parole refer to any kind of supervision or conditional release of juveniles authorized under the laws of the compacting states.

The Interstate Compact for Juveniles (ICJ) is the only legal means to transfer a juvenile’s supervision from one state to another and to return runaways. A Commissioner in each member state administers the Compact and collectively forms the Interstate Commission for Juveniles.

"Juvenile" means any person defined as a juvenile in any member state or by the rules of the Interstate Commission. This includes: 

  1. Accused Delinquent – a person charged with an offense that, if committed by an adult, would be a criminal offense;
  2. Adjudicated Delinquent – a person found to have committed an offense that, if committed by an adult, would be a criminal offense;
  3. Accused Status Offender – a person charged with an offense that would not be a criminal offense if committee by an adult;
  4. Adjudicated Status Offender –a person found to have committed an offense that would not be a criminal offense if committed by an adult; and
  5. Non-Offender – a person in need of supervision who has not been accused or adjudicated as a status offender of delinquent.
  6. Non-Adjudicated Juveniles: all juveniles who are under juvenile court jurisdiction as defined by the sending state, and who have been assigned terms of supervision and are eligible for services pursuant to the provisions of the Interstate Compact for Juveniles.
  7. Non-Delinquent Juvenile: any person who has not been adjudged or adjudicated delinquent.

persons within the juvenile jurisdictional age limit established by the home state who (1) have voluntarily left their residence without permission of their legal guardian or custodial agency or (2) refuse to return to their residence as directed by their legal guardian or custodial agency, but who may or may not have been adjudicated