Lake County Teen Court program seeks new funding

Adolescents who are charged with a misdemeanor crime may no longer be given a second chance to redeem themselves.

Without funding, the 17-year-old Lake County Teen Court program that can wipe clean a first-time juvenile offender’s record may be eliminated.

Nanci Radford, Teen Court supervisor, said without the program, kids will end up going through the branch court system.

“They’re going to have a record, a larger fine, and a slap on the hand,” Radford said. “They’re not going to learn anything.”

Teen Court, a program offered by Nicasa, a behavioral and social health organization serving Lake County communities, is an alternative to the traditional court system. Arresting officers can refer first-time offenders ages 10-18 to Teen Court for crimes such as theft, abusing curfew, trespassing, and possession of drugs or alcohol.

Radford said the program uses creative consequences for offenders such as writing apology letters, writing papers on how to be a good role model, and attending a life skills program.

“They get so much more out of Teen Court,” she said. “I think if you can influence them at a young age, you’re more apt to be able to impact them.”

Last year, 224 juveniles went to Teen Court in Lake County, the majority being 11- and 12-year-olds.

Although the program isn’t short of juvenile offenders, it is short of money.

The state is no longer providing funding to help operate and run the courts in Beach Park, Gurnee, Round Lake Beach, Lake Forest, Lindenhurst, Wauconda and Waukegan. The state provided $84,714 to the program in 2010 and $61,370 in 2011.

The Teen Court Advisory Board is now turning to fundraisers and exploring grant opportunities to try to keep the program afloat.

“We’re appealing to townships for monies, especially the townships that contain the 18 Lake County communities served by Teen Court, but township funds are limited,” said Lorrie George-Baskin, director of development for Nicasa.

So far, the program hasn’t received any grants from townships.

Bruce Johnson, former police chief in Round Lake Park and CEO of Nicasa, said Teen Court also helps reduce recidivism.

In the past three years, less than 10.3 percent of juveniles who went to Teen Court reoffended, far below the state’s Juvenile Justice System estimate of a 50 percent recidivism rate.

“By finding effective programs such as Teen Court, we can reduce this number, prevent teens from continuing to make bad decisions ... allow them a future which is not limited by a criminal record,” Johnson said.