THE next government with a million dollars to spend should look at diverting funding to provide Juvenile Justice services.

Bathurst Local Court magistrate, Jan Stevenson commented this week that courts were being frustrated, dealing with cases involving juveniles appearing before the Children's Court.

Ms Stevenson had a case in her court where a homeless 16-year-old boy appeared on a string of charges with nothing by way of a report to assist the court make a decision after he'd been in custody since Wednesday, December 16.

Bathurst solicitor Shane Cunningham said he appreciated the young man's case put the court in a difficult situation.

Rightly or wrongly, Ms Stevenson told Mr Cunningham the Juvenile Justice Department was doing all it could do to get young people out of custody.

Ms Stevenson said the youth who sat handcuffed in the dock facing charges relating to offences in the Mudgee district, "could be put on a bond and he'd just drift off into the ether".

She said it had been open to her to impose a bond or dismiss matters taking into account the time the boy spent in custody.

Ms Stevenson said there was nothing before her to say where the homeless 16-year-old might move to live upon his release, who he'd live with, who might feed him, or what might happen if placed on a bond.

Ms Stevenson told the youth she'd order an updated Juvenile Justice report for his next appearance on Wednesday, February 17 in Mudgee. She remarked "it is not good, but it's the best I can do".

The magistrate said the youth before the court should not still be in custody. But the court had to know where he'd go if released and where he might live.

She said if Juvenile Justice could not find a home for the youth he would continue on the same treadmill and return to court.