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Peer Courts for Student Success Conference

Join us on February 18th, 2014, from 1:50-2:50pm as Emily Boness presents on Peer Courts - a voluntary diversionary program where teen volunteers serve as lawyers, judges, clerks, and bailiffs, promoting restorative justice. Learn how youth can make meaningful contributions to their communities and the benefits of Peer Courts for respondents, youth volunteers, and disconnected youth. Explore real-life scenarios and the positive impact of Athens Peer Court's history and services. Contact Emily Boness for questions or comments.

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Peer Courts for Student Success Conference

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  1. Peer Courts as a Diversion College Connections for Student Success Conference February 18th, 2014 1:50-2:50pm Emily Boness

  2. What is a peer court? • Voluntary diversionary program • Teen volunteers serve as lawyers, judges, clerks and bailiffs, and in many cases jurors • Restorative justice • “…youth need to be presented with opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their families, schools, peer groups and communities.” (Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention) • Common around the country

  3. Who Benefits? • Juvenile Court • Respondents • Youth volunteers • Community

  4. Peer Courts and Disconnected Youth • Respondents return as volunteers • Jury duty • Avoid/delay contact with juvenile court • Clear record

  5. Activity • Morgan, age 14, really wanted a new pair of shoes but couldn’t afford the shoes. Morgan decided to go to a shoe store and try on new shoes and then walk out of the store with those shoes and leave the old shoes behind. The store clerk caught Morgan and a video tape of the store confirmed what Morgan had done. Morgan was arrested. • Who was harmed? • What was the harm? • Who could have been harmed?

  6. Athens Peer Court • History • We have served approximately 190 youth. • APC serves all first time juvenile offenders arrested in Clarke County.

  7. Who we serve • The average offender age is 14.90 years old • 109 boys, 79 girls • 65% African-American, 23% White, 12% Hispanic • Offense • Shoplifting – 27% • Night curfew violation – 22% • Daytime curfew violation – 11% • Possession of marijuana – 9% • Criminal trespass – 9% • Other (underage drinking, loitering, theft by taking)

  8. Dispositions • Typical disposition includes: • Apology to family member in courtroom • Jury duty • Community service hours • Letter of apology or reflective essay • Youth respondents have been assigned a total of 1405 community services hours and 516 hours of jury duty • The average disposition was 7.5 community services hours, 2.7hours of jury duty and a verbal apology to a family member given in court.

  9. Questions or comments? Emily Boness: boness@fanning.uga.edu J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development University of Georgia 1240 S. Lumpkin St. Athens, GA 30602 706.542.1472

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