| Opinion-Teen Court | |
| Who gets recommended for teen court? | Jun 30, 2001 |
| A Prompt Reply! | Jul 12, 2001 |
Who gets recommended for teen court?
June 30, 2001
Debbie Dye
Vice Pres., FL Association of Teen Courts, Inc.
P. O. Box 48927
Sarasota, FL 34230
941/955-TEEN or 941/951-4278
A few months ago, I heard about TEEN COURT. I recently read the description on the DJJ website. This was never offered to my son, … although it appears he should have been considered for this over a year ago. His original charge in March 2000 (at age 15) was battery; then…truancy…then he dropped out of school at age 16 (honors student!) without parental consent or signature; then marijuana possession. We have been swimming in the slime of the system for over a year now. My frustration, as well as being enlightened by the frustration of many other parents, is what led me to start a website: www.justice4kids.org. My goal is to help guide other parents through the tangled web of juvenile "justice"; to figure out resources that actually work, not just resources that "exist". Who gets recommended for teen court? What is the referral process?
The [Teen Court] website states: Referrals come from various sources, depending on the individual Teen Court program. They can include:
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Law Enforcement |
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School Resource Officers |
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The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice |
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Juvenile Judges |
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School Administrators |
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Traffic Court |
Not one of these referral sources ever recommended TEEN COURT to us!
Thank
you,
Cathy Corry
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my word!
July 12, 2001
From: Katie Self fatc@gte.net
Cathy:
I read your email with interest. Debbie Dye is no longer with us so I, as co-founder and Pres. of the Florida Association of Teen Courts and Director of Sarasota's program, Florida's first Teen Court, for 12 years will do my best to respond to the questions you asked.
I see from your area code that you must live in the Pinellas County area. Sadly, your frustrations and comments are not unique! Teen Court was developed to provide assistance to the "system" and keep minor offenders from having to enter into that "system". As other programs replicated our Teen Court concept (a peer jury sentencing an offender who has admitted guilt to a misdemeanor crime) most counties did not adhere to the basic goal of early intervention and prevention!...
Therefore, most programs receive their cases AFTER they have been reviewed by DJJ or state attorneys. We encourage communities to expand their referral sources to include earlier stages of referrals to their local programs. Our program, one of the most highly regarded in the country, does take cases from all of the sources you noted. We stress the direct referrals from officers and school administrators as that truly accomplishes the earliest intervention. Historically the "system" has a hard time relinquishing, in my experience and opinion, control of the case! Another aspect of the whole problem is that the "system" wants to track the juvenile's delinquency so they argue that they do not know of the Teen Court referral if it is not in the "system" database, etc. Our premise is that our referrals are minor misdemeanors and that in most instances they will not receive any sanctions in court or will never be filed on. The end result is that many of the kids, after all is said and done, receive no timely and meaningful sentence!
Teen Courts can be very valuable tools in communities when provided the opportunity to maximize their potential. They are highly effective and save the taxpayers and court systems a great deal of money due to the volunteer time contributed by adult attorneys and judges. In those communities where they are limited by whatever agency controls their operation.
We are a non-profit agency so we have a great deal of community support. I extend an invitation for you to come and visit our program in Sarasota and if you advise me of your location I can direct you to the Teen Court that serves your area.
We have an extensive website… Search www.flteencourt.org.
I am sorry you have encountered such problems. There are some wonderful people who work in the "system" but they are so bogged down by heavy case loads that they cannot be blamed in many instances. However, when there is Teen Court they could utilize it more effectively for a more positive outcome for everyone.
Katie
Self
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my word!
Revised 01/11/2010
