Salt Lake Peer Court is based on a very simple, but powerful idea: that youth who have committed offenses are connected with peer groups who hold them accountable and provide positive influence, encouragement and support. The peer groups conduct court hearings using a restorative justice approach: providing opportunities to make up for the harm they have caused, develop needed skills, and make positive community connections. They also think outside the box, coming up with requirements that are tailored to each particular youth.
The hearings are followed by weekly peer to peer mentoring over the entire time that the youth are involved in the program. Peer mentoring is critical to the program and is one of the keys to Salt Lake Peer Court’s continuing success. Much of the time youth referred to Peer Court seem to have little hope for their futures. When their peers let them know that they matter and they believe in them, it marks the start of changing behaviors and changing lives!
Peer Court is a program where youth are given a serious stake in their community – where they gain hands-on knowledge about citizenship and take an active role in addressing the early stages of youth delinquency. It eliminates social barriers and unites youth throughout our community. The youth volunteers bring energy, optimism, and belief in the abilities of the youth who come before them. And the work they do is transforming for them all.
Mission:
Salt Lake Peer Court works to combat the disproportionate involvement of low-income and minority students in America’s school to prison pipeline by providing youth who commit minor offenses with an alternative to the Juvenile Court system. Our strategy aims to break the cycle of poverty by giving low-income and at-risk youth a chance to escape a lifetime in the revolving door of America’s justice system.
As youth working together, caring and showing respect for one another, we will improve our neighborhoods, cities, and juvenile justice system. Through youth-led education and coordination with local community agencies, we will assist our peers and their families to strengthen their ties to school and community while building positive new skills.
The hearings are followed by weekly peer to peer mentoring over the entire time that the youth are involved in the program. Peer mentoring is critical to the program and is one of the keys to Salt Lake Peer Court’s continuing success. Much of the time youth referred to Peer Court seem to have little hope for their futures. When their peers let them know that they matter and they believe in them, it marks the start of changing behaviors and changing lives!
Peer Court is a program where youth are given a serious stake in their community – where they gain hands-on knowledge about citizenship and take an active role in addressing the early stages of youth delinquency. It eliminates social barriers and unites youth throughout our community. The youth volunteers bring energy, optimism, and belief in the abilities of the youth who come before them. And the work they do is transforming for them all.
Mission:
Salt Lake Peer Court works to combat the disproportionate involvement of low-income and minority students in America’s school to prison pipeline by providing youth who commit minor offenses with an alternative to the Juvenile Court system. Our strategy aims to break the cycle of poverty by giving low-income and at-risk youth a chance to escape a lifetime in the revolving door of America’s justice system.
As youth working together, caring and showing respect for one another, we will improve our neighborhoods, cities, and juvenile justice system. Through youth-led education and coordination with local community agencies, we will assist our peers and their families to strengthen their ties to school and community while building positive new skills.