Young Offenders Get Second Chance

Incarcerating juvenile offenders “is a failed strategy for combating youth crime,” according to

For 15 years, Lake Elsinore has offered an alternative to locking up kids, and proponents say it’s successful.

The Elsinore Valley Youth Court Diversion Program gives young offenders a second chance to learn from their mistakes before their cases are referred to the Juvenile Court System. Local kids who’ve committed misdemeanors for the first time are offered the opportunity to participate in the program. They undergo a court trial, where a jury of their peers decides how much community service they should do. They also serve on Youth Court juries, attend classes, write life plans and apology letters.

“Youth Court is recognized by the state as a legal court,” according to Brad Curtis, vice president of the Elsinore Valley Youth Court and a teacher at Elsinore Middle School. While a judge oversees the trials, young offenders serve as jurors and their peers as prosecution and defense attorneys, he explained.

“The kids can be harsh on each other,” Curtis said of Youth Court trials. “They want to if a kid is really sorry.”

Saturday morning about nine Youth Court participants were picking up trash along the shores of Lake Elsinore as part of community service handed down to them.

“This is their one ‘do-over’ -- it’s their one chance. They don’t get to do this a second time,” Curtis said as he watched over the kids Saturday. “If they don’t make it here, or they get into trouble again, they’re turned over to the juvenile justice system.”

Saturday’s kids were a mix of boys and girls from the Elsinore Valley, ranging in age from about 11 to 18. One young teen was in the program because he was caught stealing from a local Rite-Aid store this summer.

“I feel extremely lucky,” he said as he picked trash from the water’s edge. The first thing that crossed his mind after getting in trouble with the law was, “Oh God, I hope I don’t go to juvy.”

In addition to community service work and time on Youth Court jury duty, the boy’s was mandated to attend an educational class designed to deter him from committing future crimes. He said at first Youth Court was “annoying,” but now he looks forward to serving time.

According to Curtis, that’s not uncommon.

“These are good kids,” he said. “They come from all walks of life. Some are straight-A students who made a foolish choice.” Other kids, Curtis explained, come from families where there’s barely any food on the table.

“Some go through this program and come back later to volunteer,” Curtis continued. “We’re not going to make a huge impact on every kid, but most of them do very well.”

One young offender who was caught stealing an iPod at school earlier this year was picking trash Saturday. Curtis said the girl is stellar example of Youth Court’s impact.

“She was the first one here this morning,” he said.

Another teenage girl, who was caught vandalizing Machado Park in July with friends, said she regrets her bad decision and has since moved on from the crowd she was once hanging out with.

Stories like these are the norm, Curtis said.

“Most of the kids get on track and get focused,” he explained, noting that the program’s rate of recidivism is far lower than juvenile detention.

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation Oct. 4 report titled locking up young offenders doesn’t work on several fronts because: up to 72 percent of confined juveniles commit future crimes; states that lowered juvenile confinement rates saw a greater decline in juvenile violent crime arrests; and confinement exposes youth to violence and abuse.

Elsinore Valley Youth Court is less expensive than incarceration too: The program is run by volunteers and operates through donations.

“We established the Youth Court model locally. Others have adopted our program,” Curtis said.

But volunteers are indeed key. Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy S. Arellano coordinates Elsinore Valley Youth Court, along with Senior Deputy District Attorney Raquel Marquez, who serves as judge. Law enforcement officials and local residents help too, by overseeing community service and other activities, and offering guidance to the kids.

“We really need volunteers and donations,” said Curtis, who began giving his time to the program about five years ago.

He’s unsure how many hours he volunteers with Youth Court, but said it doesn’t matter.

“The reality is, if it wasn’t working, why would I waste me time?”

For more information about Elsinore Valley Youth Court and volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.evyc.org.