BIO

Lovley Telfair, a second-year junior from Jacksonville, Florida, is pursuing a degree in criminology and philosophy, with a minor in African American studies. With a keen interest in criminal law, Lovley aims to advocate for marginalized communities within the justice system. She is particularly drawn to research on courts, policy, marginalized groups, and education. Lovley's dedication to understanding and addressing societal inequalities underscores her commitment to promoting equity and fairness in the legal system.

North Carolina Teen Court and Recidivism: The Survey Research

Abstract

Teen court is a program that aims to deter juveniles from criminal activity. The program serves as an alternative to the traditional criminal justice system. Juvenile first-time misdemeanor offenders are eligible to participate in teen court in hopes that they will avoid further offenses. This study aims to understand the structure of teen court programs in North Carolina and their impact on recidivism. This study will compare juveniles who completed teen court to juveniles who underwent other diversion programs. This study will also compare recidivism data of juveniles who participated in teen court and juveniles who went through the traditional justice system. This is done through site visits, observations, interviews, and a survey. A survey was created with a careful algorithm and sent to 68 teen courts in North Carolina. The survey will collect data on the type of teen court programs and the sentences typically given. A survey will also be sent to a control group of counties without teen court programs. Through these surveys and observations, we will compare teen court’s impact on recidivism to other diversion methods.

Keywords: Teen Court, Political Science, Law