What We Do | Program Steps

Victims, judges, family, teens and juvenile respondents work toward positive solutions. Guided by Restorative Justice Principles, such as, accountability, personal responsibility, rebuilding relationships, public safety and building capacities, program outcomes are resulting in addressing and resolving risk factors and promoting protective factors, enabling our youth to make better choices and restoring to our community what is lost by juvenile crime.

PROGRAM STEPS

Protocol: Steps implemented to process Respondents, Victims, Parents/Guardians for participation Lansing Teen Court.

Referrals to the Lansing Teen Court are made from the Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney and Formal Juvenile Court Referees based on specific criteria. The Teen Court Administrator is responsible for further screening candidates using the following criteria:

Misdemeanor offense
Offender between ages of 11 – 16 years
Parent/Guardian’s willingness to participate
Juvenile’s willingness to participate and must admit guilt
Assault and Domestic Assault Offenses (No serious injury.)
Alcohol/Marijuana related offense
No pending felony charges or prior felony adjudication
Review of juvenile’s background and pertinent records
Information from a personal interview with juvenile and parent/guardian/custodian
In school and demonstrating progress.

The Teen Court Advisory Board Program Committee is responsible for reviewing questionable cases to determine if they are acceptable.

PREVENTION / INTERVENTION SERVICES

Cases screened/referred monthly to LTC.
LTC contact with Respondent /Family for scheduled Intake.
Respondent/Family sign Consent to participate/Intake Forms Completed.
Schedule and complete JIFF.
Restorative Justice Activities Begin. / Transformative Conferencing Option explained.
Peer Hearing Court Date Scheduled.
Victim Contact – Impact Statement Request.
Respondent/Family Intake Forms completed.
Case Management Plan completed. / Respondent begins accountability / restorative justice activities.
Attendance at bi-weekly Street Law Workshops. (Parent Workshop Series.)
Partner links/referrals implemented.
Respondent/Family reports weekly progress.
Case Report sent to Judges for review.
Eighteen hearings conducted monthly, (1 date in Mason and 2 in Lansing).
Peer Jury questions Respondent/Family/Victim during hearing.
Peer Jury deliberation determines orders.
Peer Jury Chair delivers Final Disposition.
All participants sign in agreement of orders.
Final Disposition begins/Advocate assigned.
Victim Contact based upon Orders.
Case diversion status reported to Prosecutor/Formal Courts.
Post-program questionnaire completed by Respondent/family.
Case is closed/offense dismissed-clear record.

Logic Models

The Teen Court Program Logic Model helps explain what the target population and program conditions are. It then goes through the major components of LTC and what the program activities are for each and what the expected outcomes are.

Respondent Flowchart

The Lansing Teen Court Respondent Flowchart goes through all of the steps needed to get into the program, stay in the program, and get out of the program. There are many paths that each individual can take, this flowchart goes through each possible path and shows their outcomes. Some paths lead to being referred back to the original court.