Summary of State and Local Justice Initiatives 2000

JUVENILE ISSUES: Peer Mediation, Teen Courts

Juvenile justice issues include the right to counsel and the representation of delinquent youth, juvenile detention and corrections reform, waiver of juveniles into the adult criminal courts, overrepresentation of minority children in the juvenile justice system, etc. Peer mediation programs work with elementary and high school students and faculty to train students in the use of mediation to resolve conflicts. Teen courts, an outgrowth of peer mediation, is a general term describing courts that involve young people in the sentencing of their peers, whether in a school juvenile justice, or a community setting. These courts accept offenses such as theft, alcohol/drug offenses, vandalism and disorderly conduct. In most teen courts, young offenders are referred for sentencing, not for a decision of guilt or innocence.

The Law For Kids website, www.lawforkids.org was announced in May 1999 as a stand-alone website developed specifically for children to learn about laws affecting their lives. The website is a joint project of the Arizona Bar Foundation and the Administrative Office of the Courts, along with an advisory committee of high school students. The site provides referral information for juveniles and parents about laws and their consequences, including answers to real questions posted by students.

In Illinois, a statewide coalition has been established to advocate for legislation, appropriation and government policy to address a broad range of juvenile justice issues, including reduction of incarceration rates, called the Juvenile Justice Initiative. It will serve as a resource and advocacy center, providing legislative updates, technical assistance, internet resources, a website and a newsletter for juvenile justice practitioners and advocates.

The Iowa Juvenile Court Improvement Project advisory committee, that included judges, court staff, social services representatives and citizens representing various groups with interests in child-related policies, sponsored a juvenile justice conference for Iowa attorneys in 1999.

The Massachusetts Franklin County Reinventing Justice Project focuses on restorative justice, utilizing panels of community members who meet with defendants referred to restorative probation. Victims are also invited to attend. The program continued its Asentencing circles@ initiative, supported by a community justice committee in each of the communities where the courts are located. The program, initially for adult defendants, has been expanded to juveniles.

Courts in Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and Taos have implemented experimental case management improvement processes in juvenile cases.

The North Dakota Supreme Court established a Juvenile Drug Court Planning Committee in 1998 including representatives from the executive branch, legislative branch, law enforcement, educators, citizen members and judges. The committee is charged with exploring how a Juvenile Drug Court would operate, juvenile drug trends and treatment options.

The Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education sponsors the Teen Leadership Camp on Violence Prevention Education –a weeklong training for high school students and their teachers to implement peer mediation programs and practices, conflict resolution and law-related education in their schools.

The Wyoming Bar Association continues its work on Teen Courts.

Further information on juvenile justice issues and peer mediation may be obtained from the ABA Center for Children and the Law, the ABA Criminal Justice Section Juvenile Justice Center, 202/662-1500; the ABA Family Law Section, 312/988-5603, the ABA Division for Public Education (teen courts) 312/988-5735, the National Center for Juvenile Justice, 412/227-6950 and the ABA Office of Justice Initiatives Fact Sheets found at www.abanet.org/justice.