Agenda - 12-16-1997 - 10e - Laserfiche WebLink

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Report on the Teen Court Prr--_ - , 1 20 would like to add juvenile mediation and Victim Offender Reconciliation Mediation to the menu of sentencing options. The referral source of "School Resource Officer" was added in February 1995 in response to several requests from School Resource Officers to refer criminal offenses committed on school grounds directly to Teen Court. Teen Court staff also hope that the junior and senior high schools in Cumberland County will make greater use of the Teen Court resource. In addition, efforts are being made to effect some changes in the way the teen court opportunity is used by the schools. Usually, for offenses occurring on school property, the school suspends the student and may file charges. In addition to these actions, they may refer the student to Teen Court if they feel the teen court process is appropriate in the specific circumstances. However, Teen Court staff believe that for those situations in which schools have determined that the teen court process would be a beneficial option, it may be more appropriate for schools to allow the full constructive sentence opportunity, by not suspending the student and/or filing charges before referring the student to Teen Court. Teen Court staff are currently working with School Resource Officers and making a concerted effort to encourage the practice of keeping students referred to Teen Court in school and out of court. The Center is also exploring ways in which the Teen Court program may be expanded. One expansion that was recently made is an adaptation of the teen court concept to an age- . relevant peer sentencing hearing for younger offenders. This process developed in response to requests from law enforcement for a diversion alternative that would offer educational consequences for offenders between the ages of 7 and 11. It also serves as an alternative diversion resource for juvenile intake counselors. A grand jury, composed of 11- to 13-year- olds, fills the role of attorney and questions the offender. The sentence rendered by the grand jury includes "Good Deeds" to be performed by the offender for family members and close friends, a letter of apology to the victim,and a four-hour Saturday workshop on making good decisions. Other expansion issues that may be investigated include whether the program could receive referrals for a wider range of driving offenses and whether the process may be appropriate for certain other categories of offenses, such as truancy, running away, or less serious nonviolent felonies. Finally, the Cumberland County Teen Court program is interested in ensuring that the process of establishing and implementing new teen court programs across North Carolina is a collaborative effort that involves a sharing of ideas and experiences. They believe that community involvement is essential to successful programs, that a great deal of background work and preparation must precede establishment of new programs, and that development of new programs should involve learning about, and from, the experiences of existing programs. As the first teen court program in North Carolina, they are interested in developing a "model program" that may be shared with other jurisdictions through informational materials and other means of communication throughout the planning and development process. When a few teen court programs are operating, they feel that it may be appropriate and beneficial to develop an association of Teen Court Administrators within the state, and to hold a conference of the programs periodically to promote mutual learning and sharing of experiences.