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Ateen court (sometimes calledyouth court orpeer court) is aproblem-solving court within thejuvenile justice system where teens charged with certain types of offenses can be sentenced by a jury of same-aged peers.[1] Their purpose is to provide an alternative disposition forjuveniles who have committed adelinquent act, have committed aminor offense, or have been charged with amisdemeanor, and are otherwise eligible fordiversion. Depending on their training, community support, and agreements with traditional court systems, most teen or youth courts are recognized as valid, legal venues for the process ofhearing cases,sentencing and sentence fulfillment. Teen courts and their verdicts are not authorized bypublic law.
Teen courts are staffed by youthvolunteers who serve in various capacities within the program, trained andacting in the roles ofjurors,lawyers,bailiffs, andclerks. Teen courts usually function in cooperation with localjuvenile courts andyouth detention centers, middle and high schools, and/or community organizations such as theYMCA. Most teen courts are sentencing courts in which the offender has already admitted guilt or pleadedno contest.
Many teen courts operate much like a traditionalcourt, holding hearings before a judge and jury with the jury deliberating to determine an appropriate disposition. Other courts employ different structures, such as a judge-panel model which includes a panel of 3 to 6 youth judges who collectively hear, deliberate, and sentence the offender.
Often, sentences will involve the defendant's makingrestitution to someone harmed or inconvenienced by their actions, or creating an informational awareness project abouthealth,safety,respect, or another topic relevant to the offense. One of the more common sentences is community service. In many jury-based programs it is mandatory that the offender serve on a teen court jury. In some cases, educational workshops are required as part of the sentence, usually in cases involvingalcohol ordrug charges.[2]
Youth volunteers may be eligible for school orcommunity service credits through their schools, and community awards such as thePresident's Volunteer Service Award. Adult volunteers serve as trainers, advisors and coordinators of the teen courts; some courts have a small paid staff.
Teen or youth courts provide an alternative court system through which juvenileoffenders can be heard and judged by theirpeers. Most teen courts have strict guidelines for youth volunteers who participate in the sentencing process, which generally includestraining, a modifiedbar exam,peer mentoring and compliance with acode of conduct. Many youth courts establish a youthbar association orethics body which helps to setguidelines for ethical and fair procedure.
Because cases heard by teen courts arereal cases, participants in teen court programs are required to return all case documentation,[2] and to sign anoath ofconfidentiality regarding any information which comes to their knowledge in the course of the teen court case presentation.
State-approved teen courts implementrestorative justice and attempt to reintegrate the youth offender to the community while sending appropriate messages to the offender regarding unacceptable behavior. The basic principles of restorative justice are community protection, competency development, and accountability. This system seeks to address the root causes of juvenile offenses and to reducerecidivism. Therecidivism rates for standard programs in several states range from 6%-9%, which is less than half of the traditional recidivism rate for juvenile offenders, which hovers around 20%.
Restorative justice principles require the offender to make amends to the victim and/or the community and provide opportunities for victims and community members to participate in thejuvenile justice process, providing valued input indecision making. Because of the active role the victim plays, qualitative assessments can be made into victim impact and victim satisfaction.
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