Statutes | Cherokee Code Part II Chapter 7A Article V ยง 7A-52 | 2019
(a) The purpose of the disposition in juvenile actions is to design an appropriate plan to meet the needs of the juvenile and to achieve the objectives of the Tribe in exercising jurisdiction. If possible, the initial approach should involve working with the juvenile and his family in their own home so that the appropriate community resources may be involved in care, supervision and treatment according to the needs of the juvenile. Thus, the Judge should arrange for the appropriate community-level services to be provided to the juvenile and his family in order to strengthen the home situation.
(b) In choosing among statutorily permissible dispositions for a delinquent juvenile, the Judge shall select the least restrictive disposition both in terms of kind and duration, that is appropriate to the seriousness of the offense, the degree of culpability indicated by the circumstances of the particular case and the age and prior record of the juvenile. A juvenile should not be committed to training school or to any other institution if he can be helped through community-level resources.