Street roots., July 20, 2012, Page 5, Image 5

Street roots
July 20, 2012
PEER PRESSURE fro m page 4
Youth Peer Court, they are first required to
plead guilty to the offense they committed.
They are also required to take steps
designed to involve the youth with their
family and community members who can
help them get back on track. For instance,
the youth are required to have their parent,
guardian, or another adult with them in an
interview prior to the court proceeding, or
the actual proceeding itself.
During the proceeding, the youth is
questioned in direct and cross-examinations
by the defense and prosecuting attorneys.
Once the case is heard, the jury deliberates
and decides the sentence the offender gets.
A typical sentence is a combination of
community service, writing essays about the
impact of their crimes, and serving on Peer
Court’s jury.
The minimum sentence a teen can
receive is taking a class about the effects of
crime and compulsory volunteering for two
jury sessions. Community service time can’t
exceed 16 hours, and essays can’t be longer
than 1,000 words. Harvey-Trigoso says the
juries rarely impose fines on defendants.
“Of course, who would be paying that is the
parent,” she says.
The sentences are designed to be
educational as much as they are punitive. In
that regard, Peer Court acts as an
educational experience for the youth.
“They tend to commit these offenses
because they are compulsive,” McKetchnie
says. “They don’t have the cognitive
development of adults. They don’t
necessarily understand the consequences of
their actions.”
Finally, the attorney volunteering as the
judge gives the youth a stern warning
V , . i :.q V .
. U
regarding the seriousness of their crime,
and how much jail time or fines they may
have gotten had they gone through the
juvenile justice system.
“It’s important for them to realize how
serious some of these things are,” Keller
says, pointing out that once kids turn 18 and
become adults, they would go to jail or
prison.
“A lot of times, we’re getting kids that are
17, and almost turning 18,” she says. “That
birthday is the difference between a Peer
Court case and possibly going to jail.
Once the youth finish their sentence
obligations, they have the chance to
expunge the offense from their record.
Harvey-Trigoso and others regard that as
one of the most important benefits of Peer
Court. Having a criminal record that starts
when someone is a teenager can affect what
sorts of jobs and housing they can get, as
well as eligibility for federal financial aid for
college.
“Even if someone has their juvenile
record closed, that history still comes into
play as an adult,” Keller says.
The court does not keep track of
recidivism rates, but Harvey-Trigoso says
around 80 percent of the teens follow
through with completing their sentences.
A lot of it, she thinks, is related to the
fact that the court is peer-driven, and the
sentences are given by fellow peers. “Peer
pressure is strong,” Harvey-Trigoso says. “In
the teenager years, you really care about
what peers are saying to them. They’re able
to relate to each other better.”
Kiriac says seeing peers sit on the jury
and hand down sentences has the effect of
humbling the offenders. “They expect to
see a bunch of adults or strangers,” she
says. “And then it’s like ‘oh, I have math
with you tomorrow.’”
Harvey-Trigoso says the program is still
too new to see any trends in decreased
crime, or teen behavior. But the court has
started to see an uptick in harassment
cases. Much of it doesn’t involve physical
contact, but can be harassment from cyber-
bullying, harassing text, Facebook messages,
or video.
Assault IV, which is the most common
charge, is a “borderline” offense that is
almost too severe to handle in Peer Court,
Harvey-Trigoso says. As Peer Court
continues, its sentences and methods of
working with juveniles will evolve as the
crimes they commit change.
"T h e y e ip e ct I® see a bw acli of a d u lts or
strangers," she says, "Ä nd then i f s lik e 'O h,
1 have m ath w ith yon to m o rro w /"
— KIM HARVEY-TRIGOSO
Y O U T H P E E R C O U R T C O O R D IN A T O R
The program is completely funded by
federal grants, as well as in-kind support
from the four towns participating in Peer
Court. Currently, there is no Peer Court
program in Portland. Harvey-Trigoso says
the program would like to expand to
Portland, but has not been able to find a way
of funding the expansion — but she and
others would like to see the program
continue to grow.
“Anyway we can get in and intervene
with kids, that’s a great thing,” Keller says.
“And the less likely they are to end up in
prison.”
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