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News Summary January 22 – February 4, 2011 Paul Loriquet, a spokesman for the attorney general, said that his office had not been consulted. Successful justice panels take the time to put minors on track Arizona Daily Star By Kim Smith January 25, 2011 http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/article_7243c72b-6ff7-55e9-a701-18931a42a0b0.html It looked like a typical shoplifting case: Teen girl meets new friend, steals makeup on a dare, gets caught. But it wasn't a judge the girl was talking to. And as she told her story, the small group gathered around a table in Centennial Elementary School's library learned the case was more complicated than it seemed. The 15-year-old's tears began flowing as she described being bullied for months at school, via text messages and MySpace. She glanced nervously at her mom when she admitted she's been drunk and stoned, and she readily admitted she'd rather hang out with her friends than stay at home. The people at the table were volunteers from her area, taking part in a program aimed at keeping her and other kids out of the juvenile-justice system. The girl told them she's not sure if she would smoke marijuana again, but she would probably drink again if her friends offered it to her. "If I don't do it, then they're not going to accept me," she said, breaking into tears. "I don't know who my real friends are." Moments later, there were a few smiles as the freshman talked about her love of music, being on the honor roll and her dreams of going into nursing or becoming a firefighter. After sending her out of the room, the group discussed their hopes and fears for the girl, who the Star is not identifying because she is a juvenile. Then they created a list of tasks for her to accomplish. When they brought her back in, they gave her a choice. She could sign a contract promising to tackle the tasks within three months, or she could go through the Pima County Juvenile Court system. She signed. Since May 1998, Pima County probation officers and prosecutors have been diverting thousands of children accused of minor crimes from the criminal-justice system to Community Justice Boards. 44
News Summary January 22 – February 4, 2011 The boards, which blanket the metro area, include people from all walks of life who want to hold children responsible for their actions, while helping them establish and accomplish goals that could turn their lives around. The program has been so successful it's grown from three boards and a handful of volunteers to 23 boards all over the city and 175 volunteers. Chad S. Marchand, a Community Justice unit supervisor, said nearly 2,400 children have participated in the program. Eighty-three percent of them accomplished their tasks and of those, 76 percent have not been charged with another crime. Most offenders are referred to the program by juvenile-probation officers, although parents can ask to have their kids referred if they meet the requirements. Director Mike Burns said that when children are approved for the program, a meeting is held with the victims of the crime, the child, the child's parents and board members. Kids must admit they committed a crime and listen to the impact their actions had on the victims and on their parents. The board then asks questions about their social and home lives, school, hobbies and health. The idea is to come up with consequences based on the child's answers, but not to dwell overly much on the crime itself, Burns said. The idea is for the child not to become defined by his or her crime, but to grow from it. "We pride ourselves on not lecturing because that can become just, 'blah, blah, blah,' " to children, he said. Board members are encouraged to be creative with their consequences. He remembers one teenager whose dream was to one day own and operate an auto repair shop. The boy was required to come up with an academic plan and a business plan, Burns said. Later, board members pretended to be lenders and asked him what he planned to use as collateral for his business. When the boy admitted he didn't know what collateral was, he was told to do some research. The boy's mom told the board her son would never accomplish all of the goals set for him, but by the end of his three months, his bedroom was decorated with detailed placards outlining his goals, Burns said. Another time, Burns said, a teenager with poor eyesight wanted to become a fighter pilot. Instead of telling him the military would never accept him, they asked him to research how one becomes a fighter pilot. He realized on his own that his vision would prevent him from achieving that goal, but he'd already decided he'd rather be a jet engine mechanic anyway. Board members try to help kids pursue dreams. "We tell them the sky is the limit," Burns said. 45
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