Hawai'i Island Teen Court Teen Court Director: Deidre Weiss 1382 Kilauea Ave. Hilo, HI 96720 Phone: 969-7838 dweiss@ywcahawaiiisland.org teen_court@ywcahawaiiisland.org

Overview

Hawaii Island Teen Court is a diversion program for first-time youth offenders who admit to the misdemeanors or petty misdemeanors they have been charged with. These “Respondents”, age 10 to 17, are sentenced by a jury of peers – that is other teens – at a sentencing hearing. Respondents answer questions about the facts of the committed offense and about themselves. The teen jury’s sentencing options include creative sentencing, community service, and jury duty at future Teen Court hearings. Respondents who have committed violent misdemeanors and those whose misdemeanor acts involved drugs or alcohol are required to get counseling. Each sentence is designed to help Respondents understand the negative impact their actions have had on themselves and others in the community. By completing a Teen Court sentence, teens have a fresh chance at a clean juvenile record at Family Court. Noncompliant Respondents and repeat offenders go to Family Court and face the possibility of a juvenile record.

History of Hawai'i Island Teen Court Don Bremer, a retired school teacher, founded Hawaii Island Teen Court after hearing of a court which used peer sentencing to encourage first time youthful offenders not to re-offend. Using the Teen Court of Odessa, Texas as a model, Mr. Bremer put together a team of community leaders to help him create the successful Hawai’i program. Hawai’i Teen Court became part of the YWCA of Hawai’i Island in 1991, with the first Hilo hearing held in April of 1992. Kona hearings began in January of 1995, and North Kohala hearings in February of 2006.

Funding and Goal

The program is funded by and works along-side the Hawaii State Judiciary. The United States has over 1,050 Teen Courts throughout the country, all of which focus on a similar goal; to reduce the number of second-time offenders. To accomplish this, Teen Courts seek to break the cycle of crime before it starts by using positive peer pressure to help each youthful offender take full responsibility for all her or his actions.

How Teens Are Referred

Referrals are made by the police after the youthful offender is screened for prior appearances at Family Court. Hawai’i Teen Court accepts only teen offenders charged with misdemeanors such as shoplifting, fighting, harassment, trespassing, and substance abuse. When Hawai’i Teen Court receives the case the juvenile Respondent receives a notice by mail to make an intake interview appointment within 10 days or the record is sent back to Family Court.

What Happens

The intake interview is the first step of the process; papers are signed and the juvenile’s testimony is taken for the confidential case report which is read by the judge, the teen attorneys, and the teen jury at the hearing. The second step is the sentencing hearing where the juvenile “Respondent” answers questions from the teen attorneys, the teen jury, and the adult judge. Questions often center on the facts of the case and the Respondent his-or-herself. The teen attorneys give sentencing recommendations just before the jury deliberates to find a unanimous sentencing decision. The Respondent can refuse the sentence which would send the case to Family Court. The third step of the process, sentence compliance, requires the Respondent to complete the community service and all non-counseling sentence components within 30 days. Upon sentence completion the Respondent, Family Court and the Police are notified that the charge has been satisfied by Teen Court compliance.

Contact Information
	The program relies on teen volunteers, adult volunteers and local attorneys to be successful. Anyone interested in the program can call Program Director, Deidre Weiss, at (808) 969-7838, or email her at eitherdweiss@ywcahawaiiisland.org or teen_court@ywcahawaiiisland.org.