AG 1999 05 17 - Laserfiche WebLink

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· I'he Coordinator schedules the referred juveniles for their sentencing hearings and coordinates the other activities of the scheduled session: selecting and notifying the jurors, TC attorney panel members, bailiffs, and clerks of court. Adult volunteers are recruited to serve as the TC Judge and to perform duties related to session participant check-in procedures, courtroom and hallway monitoring, and jury and attorney panel facilitation. · At the hearing the referred youth must stand before the TC Judge and jury and answer questions asked by TC attorney panel members, with the guidance of an adult volunteer, typically an attorney, to ensure that appropriate questions are asked or are avoided. A parent/custodian must accompany the juvenile to the hearing and is also questioned as to the offense, its impact upon the juvenile and family, and any changes in behavior since the incident or other relevant concerns. The complainant may either appear in person to testify about the offense and its impact or submit a written TC affidavit. After testimony is complete, the jury enters the deliberation room, selects a foreperson, comes to a consensus as to an appropriate sentence, completes the sentencing form, returns to the courtroom where the recommended sentence is read aloud before the TC. The juvenile can opt to accept the sentence or appeal certain conditions which may be modified by the TC Judge. Duration of sentences range from 90-150 days depending upon the offense. This length of involvement in TC is needed to allow time for sentence completion and time to ascertain changes in attitude and behavior. · Within a few days ofthe hearing, the juvenile receives written confirmation of the sentencing conditions and duration of the sentence. At least once every 30 days, the Coordinator contacts the juvenile, their parents/custodians, and the referring parties to ascertain how the juvenile is doing at home and at school and with completion of any of the sentencing conditions. When a suitable community service work site is found, the juvenile is contacted and given the appropriate instructions. The work site provides adult supervision and must submit a progress report to the Coordinator. · Once it is determined that the juvenile has complied with the sentencing conditions, they are notified by mail that they have successfully completed the program and the referring agency is also notified. An exit interview is done to ascertain the effectiveness of the program. Juveniles who fail to comply are notified that they are being referred back to the referral source to take whatever recourse they deem appropriate. TC offenders who successfully complete the program are encouraged to continue participation in TC as a volunteer. · For record-keeping and tracking purposes a file is maintained on each referred youth with a contact sheet utilized and containing the referral form, any correspondence with the juvenile or the referral source, assessment interview forms, hearing notices, sentencing forms, community service work forms, notification of sentence compliance/noncompliance, program completion/non-completion, notification to the referral source about termination and to the juvenile, and JCPC client tracking forms. The TC Advisory Board focuses on issues relevant to the promotion, use, and success of TC and makes recommendations with regard to those issues to the CCMC Board of Directors. By the end of FY 98/99, two TC youth volunteers will be added to this board. As part of the selection process, interested youth must complete a writ'ten request to be considered. The CCMC staff, in conjunction with the Advisory Board, will select the two youth board members. Since beginning TC, 51 youth have been trained as TC volunteers, most participating on a very consistent basis. Additional information on the CCMC and TC, are in the Attachments Section. The CCMC is a member of the Mediation Network of NC and adheres to its standards and guidelines for the provision of mediation services, as well as, conflict resolution and volunteer mediator training. All of the current staff, as well as, several CCMC board members, have received training in basic mediation skills. Trained volunteers assist the staffin mediation sessions. The Executive Director has a BA in Sociology, was a Juvenile Court Counselor for 6 & '/: years, has received training in Special Education Disputes Mediation, and will soon receive training in Family/Divorce Mediation. The staffofthe CCMC consists off Executive Director (ED) who supervises the provision of all of the services of the CCMC, including TC; Teen Court & Youth Services Coordinator (TCC); Volunteer & Community Services Coordinator (VCSC); and Case Coordinator/Administrative Assistant (CCAA-position is currently vacant ). The TCC is responsible for coordinating the daily activities of the TC, coordinating the monthly TC sessions, will begin coordinating the RESOLVE Program in late April/of 1999, and will be responsible for coordinating the new component of TC, specifically Truancy Mediation. The VCRC is responsible for the public relations functions of the CCMC, the recruitment/training of volunteers, including assisting the TCC with the recruitment/training of TC volunteers, and for assisting the TCC with monthly TC sessions. The CCAA assists the TCC with clerical support duties related to TC. The TCC will facilitate truancy mediation sessions with the assistance of the ED and VCRC, as needed. The VCRC has a BA in Business, has been trained by the Mediation Network of NC to be a mediation/conflict resolution trainer/facilitator, and has extensive knowledge of community agencies due to former employment with the United Way of the Central Carolinas. The TCC has a BS in Business and is a trained mediator.