Teen Courts

Teen courts originated from a number of programs beginning in the late 1960s and as of 2010 numbered about 1,200 in the United States. The basic idea informing these programs is that young offenders will benefit by having creative, thoughtful or unique dispositions (“sentences,” in the terminology of juvenile courts) imposed by a panel of peers. The underlying philosophy is the notion that desire to gain peer approval and avoid peer disapprobation among young people will make such a process more germane to youthful offenders. Conformist peers, it is assumed, will make a more effective court than will an often austere and seemingly remote and removed adult judge. At intake, teen court defendants have to admit culpability before being diverted from the more formal juvenile court process and must agree to accept the jurisdiction and disposition imposed by the teen court.

In this process, evidence and the charges are reviewed, a hearing is held, and a disposition is imposed by a panel of youths. In theory, all roles are held by and functions are mediated and performed by a panel of young people. Adults act in supervisory and administrative roles and function as probation officers to coordinate any community service disposition imposed by the court. In practice there are different teen court formats.

Teen courts are seen as offering a number of benefits: timeliness, accountability, cost savings, and promoting community cohesion. Generally teen court cases are heard within days or weeks of the instant offense, and generally only minor offenses are heard by this tribunal. Thus an offense that might be regarded as minor by adult juvenile court personnel might be acted upon with more severity if seen as significant by peers. Because most teen court participants are volunteers and are from the community, savings and respect for the law by the general public and juvenile audience are supposedly enhanced by this program.

Most teen courts are affiliated with traditional courts, although some are moderated and administered through law-enforcement agencies. Private agencies working under grants operate about 25 percent of these programs. These programs receive referrals from juvenile courts.

Most teen court defendants are first-time, younger offenders. Many programs accept only first-time offenders and accept no defendants with prior felony arrests or prior juvenile records. Offenders most often referred to the teen court are those accused of theft, simple assault, alcohol offenses, disorderly conduct, and vandalism.

Teen courts generally attempt to impose dispositions that are restorative in nature. That is, they try to convince the youthful offender to repair that which he or she has destroyed or to see the point of view of those against whom he or she has transgressed. Typically, a vandal might have to work in the yard of someone whose property he has vandalized and perhaps also write a letter of apology to the victim. Sometimes classes in anger management or decision making might be part of the disposition. [Page 428]An interesting and unique feature of this convention is that offenders are expected to serve on future teen court panels. This is seen as enhancing prosocial interactions and increase awareness of victim impact. That notwithstanding, community service is the most frequent sanction imposed, followed by apology letters, essays, and teen jury service. Attendance in specialized classes is a common outcome, as is restitution.

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