Teen Court meeting to introduce new mural images

Public Meeting April 18 starting at 4pm at the downtown library

Teen Court of Santa Fe County will be hosting a public meeting Tuesday, April 18, 2017 from 4-6 p.m. at the downtown Santa Fe Public Library (145 Washington Ave.). The purpose of the meeting is to introduce new images developed by youth for the mural located on West Alameda St. and discuss how we will move forward to completion of the project.

Teen Court is a first time offenders program with alternative sentencing that is run for teens by teens and has been serving teens and families in our community since 1994.

Teen Court is a nationally recognized early intervention and restorative justice program for juveniles (ages 12-17), giving the offender a second chance while holding them accountable for their actions. The Teen Court program serves as a community-based intervention/diversion program designed to provide an alternative response for the juvenile justice system. The teen accepts responsibility for their offense, appears before a judge and their peers, and is sentenced.

The goal of the Teen Court program is to interrupt developing patterns of criminal behavior by promoting feelings of self-esteem, motivation for self-improvement, and a healthy attitude toward authority. Teen Court challenges the offenders, as well as the volunteer teens, to perform at their highest level of ability. Teen Courts give appropriate offenders a second chance, yet holds them accountable for their actions. The courts use positive peer pressure to ensure that young people who commit even minor offenses give back to the community and avoid further contact with the justice system. The sanctions are determined by the Teen Court jury, and include community service, jury duty, and letters of apology. Other possible sanctions can include, behavior modification classes, essays, counseling, educational programs, gender-specific programs, and substance abuse prevention workshops.