CHAPTER 284

An Act to amend and reenact § 16-172.71, as amended, of the Code of
Virginia, relating to how probation service provided under the Juvenile
and Domestic Relations Court Law. oH

378

Approved March 15, 1954
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 16-172.71, as amended, of the Code of Virginia be amended
and reenacted, as follows:

§ 16-172.71. Probation service shall be provided through one or more
of the following means: (1) The judge of the juvenile and domestic rela-
tions court may appoint from a list of eligibles certified by the Director,
one or more suitable persons as probation officers, in accordance with
established qualifications and regulations. (2) Where * it is determined
by the local board of public welfare and the judge of the juvenile and
domestic relations court that the combined juvenile probation and
child welfare work load of a city or county is sufficient to require the
full time of one or more local probation child welfare workers on the staff
of the local department of public welfare such worker or workers may be
employed or designated and assigned exclusively to probation and child
welfare functions and shall give priority to court cases. The workers
assigned to probation child welfare work shall be appointed in accordance
with the usual procedure for appointment of personnel in the local depart-
ments of public welfare and with the concurrence of the judge of the court
served. Where probation child welfare workers are so employed, the
superintendent of public welfare shall serve ex officio as chief probation
officer. (3) Where the probation or the probation child welfare work load
is not sufficient to justify provision of court services through provisions
(1) and (2) above, such service may be provided by the Department on a
local or regional basis as determined by the Director. (4) In the event
that it is not practical to provide probation services under any one of the
three methods listed above, the local superintendent of public welfare shall
serve as probation officer; provided, however, that nothing * contained in
this section shall preclude the use of an adult probation officer in the dis-
trict under circumstances mutually acceptable to such officer, his appoint-
ing judge and the judge of the juvenile and domestic relations court.