Capital Area Teen Court gives offenders second chance

Posted March 1, 2010 at 5:00 pm and filed under Education, Featured, Opinion.

Everyone makes mistakes, and here in Wake County there is a program to help the next generation realize their mistakes and make good choices. Capital Area Teen Court is a second-chance opportunity for juvenile offenders who commit misdemeanor crimes and plead guilty to their offenses. It is funded by ReEntry Inc., a nonprofit association that receives state funding from the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Jordan Peterkin makes an objection in a case at Capital Area Teen Court. Many Garner students participate in the Wake County program.

Jordan Peterkin makes an objection in a case at Capital Area Teen Court. Many Garner students participate in the Wake County program. MATTHEW STEPPS, CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Teen Court is held at the Raleigh courthouse twice a month and usually handles around 12 cases per session. Each offender is given a trial by his peers, where he receives community service, jury duties and special programs for his sentence. Anyone ages 9 to 19 can participate as youth attorneys, bailiffs and jury members. Offenders must not have a prior criminal record and must plead guilty, admitting full responsibility for their actions.

Two students from Garner Magnet High School, sophomore Vinnie Sarrocco and junior Zachary Byers, participate in the program along with other youths from throughout the county. Both have participated in Teen Court for more than a year now, serving as both jury members and attorneys for the program. The training for the program has been hosted at West Lake Middle School, where several Garner students have attended in past years.

“Teen Court takes cases off the docket and makes juvenile court run smoother, as well as giving these kids a second chance,” a Teen Court volunteer said. “Kids are kids, and they make mistakes. Teen Court is here to help them.”

In its 11-year history, Teen Court has shown its effectiveness with a 90 percent success rate. Only one out of 10 juveniles becomes a repeat offender. In fact, about a tenth of those who go through as offenders stay in the program as volunteers to help out and learn more.

Teen Court is a great opportunity for kids, not only for the offender but for the volunteers as well. It allows a teenager to develop public speaking skills and to help out the community and meet people. Some volunteers have said that, before joining Teen Court, they were shy and that the program did wonders at helping them out.

Teen Court is just one of many great programs that taxpayers’ money helps support for this generation and the next.

Community submission by Matthew Stepps

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