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~!f;_&E COMPONENT SUMMARY (attach for each component) Statement of the, Problem /n concise terminology, describe the juvenile justice prob/em(s) to address and how these services meet the needs or service aps identified in the JCPC Annual Pian. The Teen Court program is a court alternative for first time juveniie offenders. The emphasis of the program places more responsibility on the parents and makes the youth accountable for their actions. Teen Court meets the needs of Cabarrus county by preventing first-time offenders from futher contact with the legal system. Teen Court works with the offender who remains at home under his/her parent's supervision while performing community service and victim restitution when required Teen Court may aiso recommend victim/offender mediation to work through their differences in order to promote harmony in the community. For alcohol/drug related offenses Teen Court requires a alcohol/drug assessment/evaluation. If treatment is deemed necessary by the heaith care provider Teen Court will recommend appropriate services for the offender. T<I[g~te()Pl!I*ti()!:1 Describe the tar et 0 u/ation and ste s taken to insure that the tar et 0 u/ation is served. The target population of the program are youth in the age group 11-16. Youth who have committed a first time misdemeanor offense including truancy are possible candidates for our program. The Teen Court coordinator completes an intake with the parent and youth. A risk factor checklist is used to determine if the youth meets the criteria for Teen Court. PrClg ram' Gpal( $)., .''$/'afetheiHfeclJhls 'cornponent iSdesignei;l19 ifayeO'l1solvlngih(iprQb/ern ,descrilie(Jabove. The goal of Teen Court is to reduce crime committed by middle school and high school students in local communities , served by the program while holding the youth accountable for theirbehavior and helping them realize the. impact of. their behaviors. Reduce thecaseload of for juvenile court counselors and district court so they can focus on more serious youth offenders. Promote education concerning the functions and operations of the judicial system. Work to build competencies among youth through training to handle various courtroom roles, improve, and communication and roblem-solvin skills. Me<lsurable9bjec:~i\'l!(s) . State in measurable terms the intended effect on specific undisciplined and/or delinquent behaviors. Example: anticipated reductions in court.referrals, runaway behavior, disruptive behavior at school, anticipated improved school attendance and academic achievement. These objectives must include participant outcomes and may Include program outcomes. Obj 1 - 260 youth referred; 190 admitted; 130 to successfully compiete. Obj 2 - to have 92% reduce their contact with the legal system. Obj 3 - to have 95% to display no runaway behavior or reduce such behavior. Obj 4 - to have 94% to display no disruptive behavior or.to reduce such behavior. Obj 5 c to have 95% to improve or maintain school. attendance and academic achievement. Obj 6 - to maintain a youth volunteer da~a base of 60 active participants. Obj 7 - to train 40 youth volunteers and 5 adult volunteers. Obj 8 - to receive 20% of referrals from the Department of Juvenile Justice; 75% from Law Enforcement (including school resource officers) and 5% from other resoucres (District Court, Attorney's). Obj 9 - to have the members of the Youth Advisory Board particpate with the Board of Directors quarterly. Obj 10 - will provide to 10% of youth admitted to Teen Court additional law related training through Street Law for Youth Courts Program. (See attachment) PriorityCommullityRisk Fac:tor(s),Addressed State how riorit risk factor s identified b the JCPC will be addressed. Family Management Problems - Teen Court addresses such issues which occur within the family unit - child/parent and anger management. It is mandatory condition of Teen Court for the offender to attend any type of counseling that the Teen Court deems necessary. To support this and have proof, the primary parent/guardian/custodian must provide in writing proof ot'involvement. Through the Teen Court process youth learn to be accountable for their actions. We focus on the youth learning to communicate when problems arise at school or in the community. Protective Factors Utilized (Ex. Healthy beliefs & c1earstandards,skills, opportunities, recognitiorJ) Teen Court empowers middle and high school students, volunteers and youth offenders to take an active role in addressing crime in their community. Through collaboration with the Department of Juvenile Justice, School Resource Officers and other Law Enforcement agencies the youth have an opportunity to build skills, seek future opportunities and receive recognition. Community service agencies provide youth offenders an opportunity to give back to the community and recognize the impact of their behavior. +-15 Page 3 of 10