Teen Court Gives Youth a Way Out of Trouble
Participants in the Teen Court program serve on a jury.
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Because the Choctaw people do not want to give up on youth in trouble, they send them to court and let teenagers decide what to do.
The Teen Court of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians puts the fate of young offenders squarely on the shoulders of the offenders themselves—and their peers. The court, a voluntary alternative to the Tribal Youth Court system, is for youth from ages 13 to 18 who have entered the justice system for the first time.
Teen court is a great equalizer, according to Daniel Mittan, Director of Choctaw Tribal Court Services. It gives kids an option that can steer them away from the vicious cycle of probation, jail, and future offenses.
In teen court, the attorneys, bailiffs, clerks, and jurors are all teenage volunteers. Sentences are determined by teen jurors and then reviewed by an adult teen court judge. Defendants may be sentenced to perform community service, abide by a curfew, serve on the jury, make restitution, write a report, and/or apologize for their behavior and any harm it caused. The sentences are intended to help defendants learn from the consequences of their actions and to rebuild the broken relationships caused by their crime.
Restitution and reconciliation are important parts of the program. Participants must take responsibility for their actions, provide restitution to victims, receive appropriate punishment, and learn more productive ways of living.
"Teen court is not for everyone," Mittan cautions. "Teen court can't help every kid. But it can help a significant number of them."
About 40 youth are participating in teen court this year. After 1 year in the program and some training, offenders can stay with the program as volunteers. The melding of teen criminals with reformed teen criminals turned volunteers works well and allows for mentoring, said Andrew Jones, Youth Court Diversion Coordinator. Some kids enjoy being in the program and do not see it as punishment. Jones hopes they can get others more involved and help them. "Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't," he admitted. "It depends on the kid." Overall, Jones believes the program is successful, mainly because of the partnerships that teen court has formed with schools and prevention groups.
After a slow start in late 2003, the teen court stopped relying on referrals from the youth court system and began collaborating with schools. Kids charged with minor offenses such as disorderly conduct and tobacco possession were given the option to try teen court, and suddenly the program became very popular.
The program, however, involves more than just court proceedings. Jones runs a number of prevention groups, including a substance abuse prevention group that meets with a counselor and a girls empowerment group that invites tribal leaders to come and speak. Teen court members also are expected to take part in community service and to be active members of the Boys & Girls Club.
Mittan believes even more coordination with prevention groups for case management is needed. "We've come to understand that collaboration is a strength," he said.
The success of the teen court program can be measured in the positive feedback from the community and the several former participants who have gone on to college. The court's brochure even suggests that being a volunteer "is a wonderful way to explore careers in law"—and, in fact, one teen court volunteer plans to go on to law school.
For more information, contact:
Andrew Jones
Youth Court Diversion Coordinator
Daniel Mittan
Director of Choctaw Tribal Court Services
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