First Name:
Piper
Last Name:
Ferguson
Major Department:
Criminal Justice
Thesis Director:
Matthew Robinson
Date of Thesis:
May 2010
Teen Court programs are utilized to divert first-time juvenile offenders from the formal juvenile justice system and present them with an alternative to a criminal record. The programs employ many techniques to reduce the recidivism rates of their participants, provide them with community and peer support, quickly deliver sanctions, and supply opportunities to make restitution to their communities. Recidivism rates, the rate at which defendants re-offend following the program, are the measure of effectiveness for teen courts. Social structures, community support, reduction of shameful labeling, differential reinforcement, peer involvement, restorative justice, consistent models, and many other factors contribute to the level of recidivism rates in the programs.