Reader comments
Panel of their peers: Youth Court in action

JanSan | 8:12 a.m. June 9, 2009

What a great idea - I wish that they had more of these.. How can we find out if they have any in our area (Idaho)

Great Idea! | 8:27 a.m. June 9, 2009

Wow! What a wonderful idea! Best wishes for success to all involved!

Conejo | 9:06 a.m. June 9, 2009

Every program ever invented claims phenomenal success. If these programs are so successful, why is 70% of the population of jails and prisons return offenders? The answer is a program gets to define what is a success.

I was once called by the mother of an arrestee who claimed her son had been doing SO GOOD! He hadn't been arrested sinced he turned 18! That sounded good until I looked up his record. He had turned 18 one month earlier! Perhaps we as parents and as a society should lift our expectations a bit before we proclaim something is a success.

Comments continue below

Dan | 2:15 p.m. June 9, 2009

This is an excellent idea. I believe many communities would benefit from this Panel of Peers.

Participant | 6:35 a.m. June 11, 2009

I participated in a version of Youth Court while in high school. It was a great experience for me and I think, for those that made the choices that sent them to the court. It sounds like several changes have made it an even better program.

Curtis | 10:59 a.m. June 11, 2009

@Conejo

Being an eight year member of this very Peer Court, I can tell you that we do have great success. The SLC School District, SLCPD, and various other donating agencies demand results and we provide them.

Yes, you always have repeat offenders, but the vast majority of the students who go through our program avoid entering the juvenile or adult legal system.

We define success by consistently motoring a students progress in school while they are still in our program - most see marked improvement in their grades and fewer behavioral problems in class. Furthermore, we feel that we prevent students who are "on the edge" of worse behaviors such as joining a gang or drug use by providing them solid structure and support while they are with us - all of it being designed to prevent future problems.

In short, the volunteer students and advisers are trying to be part of the solution to the problems society faces. Can you claim the same Conejo?

Ekta Shah | 8:43 p.m. June 11, 2009

I'm in it......I love it.

Conejo | 2:44 p.m. June 13, 2009

@ Curtis,
I have been in law enforcement for 18 years. Would you call that part of the solution? I hope the program is a success. However, I am skeptical since I see the failures go through every program imaginable over and over again.

Jill Willard | 1:03 p.m. June 15, 2009

My granddaughter is in it and we are so very proud of her. All of the kids who comitt to this are exceptional and it gives me faith that our youth CAN AND WILL changer the world to be a better place.

re: Conejo | 1:21 p.m. June 15, 2009

"Every program ever invented claims phenomenal success. If these programs are so successful, why is 70% of the population of jails and prisons return offenders? The answer is a program gets to define what is a success."

One reason is that many of these programs are small, too small to help everyone, but they still make a positive difference.

Also, your statistic would show why alternative programs such as this one are needed. The traditional system of sending people to prison doesn't rehabilitate them, they often come out of prison worse than when they went in.

Peer Court Member | 7:01 p.m. July 3, 2009

I am a current member of Peer Court and I really do believe that even difficult cases in which little progress seems to be made, there is a difference being made. The likely hood of every person dramatically changing their life is slim, but I believe even the tiniest achievements should be celebrated. This program really has changed lives and made an impact, no matter how small. It also changed my life. I have always been more shy and awkward, but feel that Peer Court made me step out of my comfort zone and learn more about myself in helping and trying to understand others and their points of view. Peer Court is a wonderful and proactive program that may not always succeed in top results, but is helpful and supportive to at least some, and that makes all the difference.

Peer Court Member (: | 8:55 p.m. Sept. 26, 2009

Yay for Peer Court!!
(: (: (:
I LOVE being in Peer Court. It has been SUCH a life changing experience, and I've only just started- my first night was Thursday (:

Peer Court Member | 1:51 p.m. Oct. 20, 2009

peer court is just amazing. I love it. Look at Jasmine! She looks wonderful in that picture.

Add your comment

Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.

Words Remaining

E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.