Sandy Youth Court gives juvenile offenders a second chance

Sandy’s youth court gives first time juvenile offenders the chance to start again after a bad decision. The program was started in 2006, and has grown from seven members to 24 members this year.

“This program is very important for youth that perpetrate a minimal crime,” Sandy Police Chief Stephen Chapman said. “The youth that participate in this program have a higher success rate and rarely reoffend.”

The program has been successful over the last five years and boasts a 7 percent recidivism rate. The court saw 85 cases last year, and only six juveniles reoffended.

Barbara Higgins oversees the program for the Sandy Police Department. She said the youth court is a restorative justice program that helps defendants without a record who made a bad choice.

As part of the program, defendants have to admit guilt and go before the youth court, which is made up of Sandy youth. As part of their sentence or “disposition,” offenders must to repair the harm resulting from the crime committed. Higgins said the youth court customizes the program to fit the defendant’s skills.

“For someone with a graffiti charge, the youth court might ask the defendant to design a poster or do an art project for the community,” she said. “The whole point is to give back to the community they live in.”

Defendants have to write an essay about their crime and the solutions the court came up with. The youth also write apology letters to the victims as part of the disposition. They are assigned a youth mentor and have weekly contact with them. Higgins said the youth mentor helps the defendants stay on track, but it also builds a rapport between the youth to spot any problems at home.

Once the disposition has been completed, the crime is stricken from the defendant’s record. The program is only open to first time offenders. Those who have participated in the program and have not reoffended are eligible to join the youth court the next year.

“It’s been surprising to see how well the program works,” Higgins said. “We’ve had kids in it that have gone into the military, gotten college scholarships and become a part of the youth court. We’ve seen a lot of kids that have taken advantage of the program and turned their lives around.”

Landon Cline is a member of the youth court and said he joined because he wanted to have the chance to help other youth in his community and learn the court system.

“The youth court gave me the chance to see a different side to the court system,” he said. “The city council and the administration make the law and it’s up to the court to uphold it. I like being able to find a positive solution for a problem.”

The program continues to thrive despite losing its full-time youth coordinator this year because of a loss of grant money through the Children at Risk Intervention Unit program. Higgins said the department hopes to expand the program in the future but for now. the court continues to try to help Sandy’s youth.

“We have had to scale back a little, but thanks to our volunteers, all the components of the program remain in place,” Higgins said.