NCJ Number
161195
Date Published
1995
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This report reviews the establishment and operation of three North Carolina teen court programs, in which juvenile offenders were sentenced by a jury of the juvenile's peers, and presents data on the juveniles processed, the cases handled, and outcomes.
Abstract
Legislation creating the Teen Court program was enacted in 1993. The courts are operating in Cumberland, Buncombe, and Durham counties. Major goals are to offer the community a positive, alternative approach to disciplining youths who commit nonviolent misdemeanors or who present disciplinary problems at school and to involve secondary students an experiential opportunity to take part in an alternative system of justice. The courts accept referrals from juvenile intake, juvenile court, the police, the sheriff, the schools, and the district court. An analysis of short-term recidivism (7.4 months) suggested no significant difference between program participants and a comparison group, but indicated that fuller participation in the teen court process was associated with lower recidivism rates. Interviews with persons familiar with the program revealed several perceived benefits of the teen court alternative. These include the collaboration of peers, parents, and the community in developing a constructive response to juvenile delinquency; the message sent to juveniles at an early stage of unlawful behavior; and the involvement of students in broadening, positive, and character-building activities. Tables