# Ala. Code § 12-15-101: Section 12-15-101 Purpose of the Alabama Juvenile Justice Act; Short Title; Goals for the Juvenile Court > Alabama · Statutes · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-101 ## Section - **Citation:** Ala. Code § 12-15-101 - **Heading:** Section 12-15-101 Purpose of the Alabama Juvenile Justice Act; Short Title; Goals for the Juvenile Court - **Jurisdiction:** Alabama - **Kind:** Statutes - **Status:** In force - **Text as of:** August 14, 2026 - **Source:** Compiled text - **Location:** Alabama Code / Title 12 / Chapter 15 / Section 12-15-101 ## Text (a) This chapter shall be known as the Alabama Juvenile Justice Act. The purpose of this chapter is to facilitate the care, protection, and discipline of children who come under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, while acknowledging the responsibility of the juvenile court to preserve the public peace and security. (b) In furtherance of this purpose, the following goals have been established for the juvenile court: (1) To preserve and strengthen the family of the child whenever possible, including improvement of the home environment of the child. (2) To remove the child from the custody of his or her parent or parents only when it is judicially determined to be in his or her best interests or for the safety and protection of the public. (3) To reunite a child with his or her parent or parents as quickly and as safely as possible when the child has been removed from the custody of his or her parent or parents unless reunification is judicially determined not to be in the best interests of the child. (4) To secure for any child removed from parental custody the necessary treatment, care, guidance, and discipline to assist him or her in becoming a responsible, productive member of society. (5) To promote a continuum of services for children and their families from prevention to aftercare, considering wherever possible, prevention, diversion, and early intervention. (6) To promote the use of community-based alternatives as deterrents to acts of juvenile delinquency and as least restrictive dispositional alternatives. (7) To hold a child found to be delinquent accountable for his or her actions to the extent of the age, education, mental and physical condition, and background of the child, and all other relevant factors and to provide a program of supervision, care, and rehabilitation, including restitution by the child to the victim of his or her delinquent acts. (8) To achieve the foregoing goals in the least restrictive setting necessary, with a preference at all times for the preservation of the family and the integration of parental accountability and participation in treatment and counseling programs. (c) Judicial procedures through which these goals are accomplished will assure the parties a fair hearing where their constitutional and other statutory rights are recognized and enforced. (d) This chapter shall be liberally construed to the end that each child coming under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court shall receive the care, guidance, and control, preferably in his or her own home, necessary for the welfare of the child and the best interests of the state. ## Nearby sections - [Ala. Code § 12-15-101 Section 12-15-101 Purpose of the Alabama Juvenile Justice Act; Short Title; Goals for the Juvenile Court](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-101.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-102 Section 12-15-102 Definitions](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-102.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-103 Section 12-15-103 Juvenile Court Judges May Be Circuit or District Court Judges; Maintenance of Separate Juvenile Case Action Summaries; Promulgation of Rules of Procedure for Juvenile Courts; Powers of Judges of Juvenile Courts as to Issuance of Writs and Processes and as to Equity Generally](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-103.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-104 Section 12-15-104 Advisory Boards](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-104.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-105 Section 12-15-105 Exercise of Authority by District Attorneys in Juvenile Court Proceedings Generally; Assistance by District Attorneys in the Juvenile Courts; Representation of the State by District Attorneys in Cases Appealed from Juvenile Courts](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-105.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-106 Section 12-15-106 Juvenile Court Referees’ Qualifications and Appointment; Conduct of Hearings of Cases by Juvenile Court Referees; Transmission of Findings and Recommendations for Disposition of Juvenile Court Referees to Juvenile Court Judges; Provision of Notice and Written Copies of Findings and Recommendations of Juvenile Court Referees to Parties; Rehearing of Cases by Juvenile Court Judges; When Findings and Recommendations of Juvenile Court Referees Become Decree of the Juvenile Court](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-106.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-107 Section 12-15-107 Juvenile Probation Officers - Duties of Juvenile Probation Officers Generally; Powers of Juvenile Probation Officers as to Taking into Custody and Placing in Shelter or Detention Care of Children Generally; Procedure Upon Taking into Custody of Child by Juvenile Probation Officer Generally](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-107.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-108 Section 12-15-108 Liability of Counties for Expenses of Maintenance and Care of Children Under the Jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court Pursuant to This Chapter; Reimbursement](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-108.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-109 Section 12-15-109 Issuance of Orders to Parents for Payment of Court Costs, Fees of Attorneys, and Expenses for Support, Treatment of Children Under the Jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court Pursuant to This Chapter; Manner of Payment; Proceedings Upon Failure of Parents to Pay Amounts Directed](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-109.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-110 Section 12-15-110 Punishment for Contempt of Court of Persons Disobeying Orders of the Juvenile Court Generally](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-110.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-111 Section 12-15-111 Contributing to the Delinquency, Dependency, or Need of Supervision of Children](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-111.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-112 Section 12-15-112 Interference with Performance of Duties by Juvenile Probation Officers](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-112.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-113 Section 12-15-113 Jurisdiction to Make a Parent or Parents, Legal Guardians, or Legal Custodians Parties to Juvenile Court Proceedings](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-113.md) - [Ala. Code § 12-15-114 Section 12-15-114 Original Jurisdiction - Juvenile](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-114.md) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_AL_T12_C15_S12-15-101. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.