Pima County Teen Court is celebrating its 30th anniversary, offering an alternative to the traditional justice system and allowing teens to take accountability and avoid formal charges.

Since its start in 1995, the program has conducted more than 8,000 cases with demonstrated success.

Teen Court has an 11% recidivism rate, and 90% of teen participants believe their participation will help avoid future criminal behavior. Another 83% said they believed their participation would improve communication within their families.

Any teen between the ages of 12 and 17 who is eligible for diversion may be referred to Teen Court, with cases ranging from school fights and shoplifting to vandalism and alcohol possession. Recently, Teen Court has begun addressing issues like drag racing.

“We really want to provide teens opportunities to learn the lessons and to make different choices in the future," said Program Manager Kate Spaulding, who has been involved with Teen Court since 2001.

Under the program, which is operated by the YWCA of Southern Arizona, teen volunteers step into the roles of defense attorney, prosecutor and jury.

Once a family has decided that Teen Court is the best option, the paperwork is forwarded by Pima County Juvenile Court to Teen Court staff, who will contact the family within two days.

The teen will be scheduled for the next available court date, and on the day of their hearing, they will explain the reasons they committed the offense. Their parent or guardian will also be given the opportunity to make a statement to the court before the jury deliberates and decides on a consequence.

Sentences are meant to help the defendant understand why their behavior was wrong, repair the harm they caused and help them make better choices in the future.

Each sentence includes a workshop about juvenile law, the arrest process and family communication, along with additional workshops on relevant topics, including anger management, shoplifting and goal setting.

Defendants are also required to later return to serve on the jury for others referred to the program.

After the hearing, the family meets with an exit interviewer who will help schedule dates for the workshops and offer mediation to help resolve conflicts between peers or issues at home.

Sentences are typically completed within 30 days. There is no cost to participate in the program.

Beyond juvenile justice cases, Teen Court is working to build partnerships with local businesses, schools and libraries to encourage referrals of cases to Teen Court rather than law enforcement.

“We know that any contact with the juvenile justice system increases the likelihood that teens will stay in the system,” Spaulding said. “So if we can keep them separate from that and offer all the resources that Teen Court has, that’s our goal.”

Spaulding also works to educate students about juvenile law. During a recent visit to a middle school, she found that many students were unaware of local curfews.

In Tucson, anyone under 16 must be home by 10 p.m., while 16- and 17-year-olds have a midnight curfew. In South Tucson, the curfew for anyone under 18 is 10 p.m.

“It’s important to help students understand that the things they do at school can have bigger consequences than what they do outside of school,” Spaulding said.

Teen Court operates with funding from federal sources, state and local grants, and private donations.

At a recent Teen Court bar association meeting, teens voiced the importance of ensuring local representatives are aware of the program, especially since some of its funding comes from the federal government.

“It’s those types of things where the youth are problem-solving, active and want to be a part of a solution that keeps me involved,” Spaulding said.

For teens interested in volunteering, the program is open to all high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors.

Those who serve on the jury will attend court days, typically Saturdays at 8:30 a.m., and receive a 30-minute training before the session begins.

More active roles, like becoming a teen attorney, require 29 hours of training and passing the Teen Court bar exam. The next session starts on April 7.

“How much they want to be involved is up to them,” Spaulding said. “Whether they want to come just once for community service or be here two Saturdays a month all year long, we welcome all levels of commitment.”

Teen Court also relies on a team of adult volunteers to help maintain structure, including University of Arizona Peace Corps Fellows, Arizona State University School of Social Work graduate students and AmeriCorps members.

Longtime volunteer Ashley Rodriguez got her start as a Teen Court attorney at the age of 14. She’s now in her third year of service as an AmeriCorps member.

“I was able to learn a lot about public speaking, but also how to read and summarize a police report into a descriptive argument,” Rodriguez said. “It gave me the overall confidence to come out of my shell and speak publicly.”

Teen Court will mark its 30th anniversary with a celebration in June.

Isabela Gamez is a University of Arizona alum and Tucson Spotlight reporter. Contact her at gamezi@arizona.edu.

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