Juvenile justice

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Armed robbery, assault and habitual drug use were among the transgressions that 10 juvenile offenders verbally apologized for during an Oct. 10 rehabilitative session at the Waukesha County Community Center.

The 5-year old program, titled The Youth Accountability Panel, is a joint venture between the Mediation & Restorative Justice Center (MRJC) and the Waukesha Department of Health and Human Services (WDHHS).

“This program is an opportunity for juveniles to reflect on their actions and we try and give them a glimpse of what their lives will look like if they continue along a destructive path,” said Cathy A. Warmington, the program director.

The process has largely worked as a deterrent with recent data compiled by the DHHS that revealed only a 13-percent recidivism rate for juveniles who participated in the accountability panel.

Restorative Justice

The panel environment is meant to be a nurturing experience, but also one which aims to impose some level of personal accountability on the juvenile according to “Rich,” who was one of five volunteer mentors at the session.

“A lot of these juveniles we see are not bad kids, and they’ve just done some dumb things,” said “Rich,” who worked for 27 years with a Wisconsin rehabilitative agency. “We want to let them know, this small stuff like vandalism can turn into something much more serious.”

Juveniles are assigned to the accountability panel through the Waukesha County Juvenile Court typically “six months to one year” after court involvement and are then screened by staff. Ideally, the offenders meet face to face with their victims to fully appreciate the impact of the crime committed, according to Warmington.

“It all depends on the person and the nature of the crime,” said Warmington, who estimated the program received 280 referrals in 2006.

No victims were present at the Oct. 10 panel, but the session seemed to nevertheless have a positive impact on some of the participants.

One of the juveniles, who had committed assault, was particularly touched by a graphic video of life inside the Green Bay Correctional Institution, a maximum-security prison.

“Seeing the inside of a cell and the inmate being able to touch his hands to both walls was scary,” said “William,” 17, who has also been in anger management. “I talked with a kid who has been to stuff like this five times and I don’t really want that to be me.”

Wisconsin Law Journal does not identify juvenile offenders.

While the experience was a positive one for William, that was not the case for all of the participants. Another teenager said he did not see any value in the session and did not believe what he did what necessarily wrong.

He said his motivation for completing the panel program was simply to graduate high school and to get a job, so he would not be homeless.

Few Problems

Both Warmington and mentors said there had never been a significant problem with the juveniles referred to the program. Each juvenile’s written apology and worksheet with questions like, “How have you been affected by your behavior?” are sent to the individual’s social worker and filed with the court.

Only “a handful” of minor issues have ever arisen during the panels, but Warmington noted that juveniles are one-time participants in the program. If necessary, the offenders are referred back to their social workers and the Juvenile Court.

“A lot kids, especially boys, will come in acting like tough guys and by the end of the night, their whole demeanor changes,” said Warmington. “It’s very interesting to see the transformation.”

Although all the juveniles who attended the Oct. 10 session were boys, Warmington noted that throughout the history of the program, it has been about a “50-50” split between genders.

Parents or guardians are also encouraged to attend the panel and contribute by filling out a follow-up survey at the end of the night. Warmington noted that the feedback, positive or negative, helps shape future funding considerations.

The accountability panel program is one of several restorative justice programs operated by the MRJC, which was established in 1983. Initial funding came through a Youth Aids Grant from the WDHHS, but initiatives, including the accountability panel, are now funded almost exclusively through a grant from the United Way.

“I think this is just one of several steps in self reflection and showing kids the consequences of their behavior,” said William’s mother. “For younger kids, who are more impressionable, it seems to be a good tool.”