Youth Court
210 West 10000 South Sandy, UT 84070
Barbara Higgins
email: bhiggins@sandy.utah.gov
Youth Court Coordinator
Phone: (801) 568-6059
Overview
Sandy Youth Court offers an alternative approach to juvenile justice in which youth referred for minor offenses; are sentenced by a jury of their peers. Youth Court employs a restorative justice-based approach that applies the skills and abilities of Sandy City juveniles to provide a positive peer influence, to hold youth accountable for their actions, and to strengthen their ties to school and community. Youth Court is an alternative to Juvenile Court for many first-time offenders. The program has three components: 1) court hearings 2) peer mentoring and 3) peer mediation.
Referred youth must admit to the charge and must voluntarily agree to attend the program.
How to apply
If you are interested in applying for Youth Court; you can mail, fax or bring in your application. The Youth Court will start accepting applications in April.
Youth Court Application (PDF)Youth Court
Court Hearings
Court hearings are held every second and fourth Tuesday of the month, starting at 6:00pm. Court is located at 210 West 10000 South, just north west of Sandy City Hall.
Panels of youth volunteers trained in restorative justice principals conduct court hearings.
They deliberate and come to a consensus on a disposition (sentence), which focuses on:
- Making youth aware of the harmful effects of their actions, and creating opportunities to repair the harm they have caused.
- Increasing competencies to be productive members of society.
- Connecting the youth to the community.
A return hearing date sets a time limit for the completion of the disposition requirements. A brief return hearing provides an opportunity for the youth to give feedback about what they have learned from their experiences, and notice of completion from the court. In cases of non-compliance, the youth are referred back to the referral source, and may be referred to the Juvenile Court.
Peer Mentoring
A second component of the program is ongoing peer mentoring. The court intervention is extended with weekly contact by panel members, who volunteer to be the peer mentors for the referred youth during the time that they are completing their dispositions. The mentors support compliance with the requirements, encourage responsibility, and validate positive behaviors, thus strengthening the referred youths ties to positive peer role models.
Youth Volunteers
Youth Court utilizes the skills and abilities of a diverse population of Sandy youth. The program helps to eliminate geographical and social barriers and unites youth throughout the city as they collaborate to intervene with referred youth. Youth Volunteers volunteer for one school year. Training is held in August. This program presents a model for the belief that a diverse group of students can work together and come to a consensus on clear, positive standards for behavior. As mentors, role models, and as key planners in the community, they realize they can make a difference in their own and others' lives.
Adult Volunteers (Advisors)
Advisors are an integral component of the program. Their role is strictly advisory, as the title implies. They offer guidance, when needed, and debrief panel members after the hearings. They also monitor the mentoring process with the mentors and the referred youths parents. The goal of this position is to foster an environment that empowers the students to take ownership of processing the issues that come before them and assist in the ongoing learning process.
Sentencing Options
Youth Court assists referred youth in changing problem behaviors by offering healthy activities as part of the disposition, thereby integrating them into positive community organizations and resources. The following are some of the disposition options utilized by the Youth Court:
1) Anger Management
2) Tobacco, Drug, and Alcohol classes
3) Life skills classes and youth support groups
4) Individual and family counseling
5) Restitution
6) Community service at a variety of community agencies
7) Youth Court panel duty
8) Mentor/ Mentee meetings
9) Written reports
10) Apology letters
11) Mediation
Training
Restorative justice principles provide the foundation for the collaborative approach on which the program is based. Advisors and students also receive extensive training on communication skills, questioning, state statutes, mentoring, conflict resolution, bias awareness, team building activities, and courtroom processes.
For more information on youth courts on a state or national level, you can visit the following sites:
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