The Utah Children's Justice Center (CJC) is a program of the
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
Attorney General's Office
The Attorney General's Office (AGO) is a department of His Majesty's Government that supports the Attorney General and their deputy, the Solicitor General (together, the Law officers of the Crown in England and Wales). It is sometimes referred ...
to coordinate investigation and prosecution of
child abuse
Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to a ...
, especially
child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (whet ...
. There are 22 CJC's in the state of Utah. They were created to provide a child friendly environment for interviews and exams of child victims as well as to provide support and centralized resource referrals to victim's families. In 2021,
Joy D. Jones presented a $300,000 gift from
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church) to assist their 26 centers throughout the state.
Services
Prior to the creation of the Utah CJC's, investigation of child abuse may have required a child victim to be interviewed by police, social services, medical personnel, psychologists and prosecutors. The primary function of the CJC is to provide a facility where children can feel more comfortable and receive coordinated services as part of the investigative process. The interviews are completed in a home-like setting by law enforcement and/or social service investigators. The interview is recorded so representatives from all involved agencies are able to use the interview in their investigation.
The children's justice center provides many secondary services. These include:
*
Medical
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...
forensic
Forensic science, also known as criminalistics, is the application of science to Criminal law, criminal and Civil law (legal system), civil laws, mainly—on the criminal side—during criminal investigation, as governed by the legal standard ...
exams on-site at some centers
*Tracking and monitoring of cases through the
criminal justice system
Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...
*Collaboration of resources among agencies involved in the investigation
*Community education presentations
*Referrals for mental health and other services
Locations
Utah has 26 justice centers where child victims can be interviewed in a safe child-friendly environment. The centers help coordinate investigation and prosecution of child sex abuse cases. They also provide referral services to victims' families.
[Utah Code § 67-5b-101-107(2003)]
*Cache County CJC
*Salt Lake South Valley CJC
*Carbon County CJC
*Tooele County CJC
*Davis County CJC
*Uintah/Daggett County CJC
*Duchesne County CJC
*Utah County CJC
*Emery County CJC
*Summit County CJC
*Grand County CJC
*Washington County CJC
*Iron County CJC
*Weber/Morgan County CJC
*Salt Lake Avenues CJC
*Box Elder County CJC
*San Juan County CJC
*Sanpete County CJC
*Sevier County CJC
*Wasatch County CJC
*Kane County CJC
*Beaver County CJC
Notes
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External links
Children's Justice Centers at AttorneyGeneral.Utah.gov
Iron County Children's Justice CenterUtah County Children's Justice CenterWeber/Morgan Counties Children's Justice Center
Child abuse-related organizations
Criminal investigation
Organizations based in Utah
Public services