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Administration of Justice Bulletin No. 98/03 December 1998 - comparable to those in former law. The new code. however, requires that every post-release supervision plan provide for at least ninety, days, but not more than one year, of post-release supervision. Therefore, it requires the OJ$ to release a juvemle under a plan of post-release supervision at least ninety days before the end of the juvenile's maximum tenn. It also requires that the {~rt6s of post-releaSe suPervision be based on the juvenile's needs and the protection of the public, specifies that a juvenile on post-release supervision must be suPervised by a court counselor, and provides that post-release supervision must be terminated by order of the court. On motion of the juvenile, motion of the court counselor, or the court's own motion, and after notice, the court may conduct a hearing to review the progress of a juvenile on post-release supervision. If the court determines by the greater weight of the evidence that the juvenile has violated the terms of post-release super~'ision, the court may revoke the post-release supervision or make any other disposition authorized by the code. If the court revokes post-release supervi- sion, the.juvenile must be returned to the OJJ for placement in a training school for an indefinite term of at least nines' days. subject to the maximum commit- ment periods described earlier. Fair Treatment for Victims and Witnesses A~cle 45 of G.S, Chapter 1SA lists thirteen things that employees of law-enforcement agencies, the prosecutorial system, the judicial system, and the cor- rectional ~'stem should make a reasonable effort to accomplish for victims and witnesses of crimes. The article defines "victim" as a person against whom there is probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed. It defines "crime" to include, among other things, any act committed by a juvenile that, ffcom- mitred by a competent adult, would constitute a felony. Section 19.4 of S.L. 1998-212 (S 1366), the Current Operations Appropriations and Capital Improvement Appropriations Act of 1998, rewrites that part of the definition to also include acts that would be serious misdemeanors. S.L. 1998-212 also adds to G.S. Chapter 1SA a new Article 45A. the Crime Victims' Rights Act, which creates substantive rights and obligations relat- ing to crime victims and witnesses. The new article does not apply to delinquent acts comnutted by juveniles. Recidivism Rates S,L. 1998-202 retains the requirements for an annual computation and report of the recidivism rates of juveniles who are adjudicated delinquent for A through E felony offenses, but transfers these respon- sibilities from the Administrative Office of the Courts to the Office of Juvenile Justice and changes from December 1 to February 15 the date by which the report must be made. Section 16.2 of S.L. 1998-212 (S 1366) makes the same change in current law (G.S. 7A-675.3) regarding the date the report is due. Thus, the Administrative Office of the Courts must make its last report of recidivism statistics by February 15, 1999. Authority over Parent, Guardian, or Custodian The new code requires the parent, guardian, or custodian of a juvenile under the juvenile court's jttris- diction to attend all hearings of which that person has notice, unless the court has excused the person's apPearance at a particular hearing or all hearings. The willful failure to attend, unless excused, is grounds for contempt. A new provision prohibits any employer from dis- charging, demoting, or denying a promotion or other benefit of employment to any employee because of that person's compliance with this or other obligations the code places on a juvenile's parent, guardian, or custodian. The code charges the Commissioner of Labor ~ith enforcing the prohibition pursuant to Article 21 of G.S. Chapter 95. Ln that chapter. G.S. 95- 241(a) is rewritten to prohibit any person from dis- criminating or taking retaliatory action against an em- ployee because the employee in good faith complies or threatens to comply with those obligations under the Juvenile Code. After adjudication that a juvenile is undisciplined or delinquent, the court may order the juvenile's parent, guardian, or custodian I. to cooPerate with and assist the juvenile in compl.ving with the terms and conditions of probation or other court orders; 2. to attend parental responsibiliLy classes, if they are available in the judicial district in which that person resides; 3, to the extent the Person is able to do so. to provide transportation for the juvenile to keep appointments with a court counselor or to comply with other orders of the court. 22