In Pennsylvania, most of the time when a person under the age of 18 is charged with a crime the charges will be handled in juvenile court. Juvenile court is designed to rehabilitate minors and not to punish them. Unlike an adult who is charged with a DUI, a juvenile who is charged with a DUI does not face mandatory jail sentences if they are convicted of a DUI. Once a juvenile is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, the court has authority until the juvenile turns 21. This means a Judge could place a juvenile in either a detention center or treatment facility until they are 21. However, long periods of detention or treatment are rare and are usually only for violent crimes.
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