NCJ Number
160992
Date Published
1995
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This report presents the methodology and findings from an evaluation of Kentucky's teen court program, which provides first-time juvenile offenders charged with minor offenses an opportunity to face a sentencing jury composed of other juveniles.
Abstract
In teen court, only the judge is an adult; originally developed as a diversion program, it functions as a dispositional alternative. Teen courts in Madison, Franklin, and Warren Counties, and in Northern Kentucky were evaluated from the perspectives of Law Related Education and Service Learning. A variety of data-collection strategies were used, including a test of knowledge, written surveys, observation, and group interviews. The concept of "reflection" was used to assess the service learning component of the program. More than 250 youth participated in the programs. The evaluation found that participants volunteer for courtroom roles because they find the process interesting, they believe they are learning, and they want to do something for their community. In the program, participants learn about the sources of delinquency, including low self-esteem, unhealthy family life, lack of respect for authority, and lack of positive activities. Although the amount of legal knowledge may have decreased, participants reported that they had learned about court procedure and about what attorneys and judges do. Attitudes toward authority figures increased uniformly only at the Northern Kentucky site; this was also the site with the largest number of teen court sessions. The teen court process is the program's greatest strength, and lack of referrals its greatest weakness. Although not all the evaluation measures produced positive findings, the weight of data collected suggest that teen court provides a substantial law related education experience and an opportunity for meaningful service learning. Recommendations are offered for program improvement. 11 tables, 11 references, and appended evaluation instruments