Research Symposium

BIO

As an first-year, first-generation sophomore, Evelyn is from Naples, Florida and is pursuing a Bachelor in Science in Political Science with dual minors in Criminology & Criminal Justice and Psychology. In her first year, she became involved in research, leadership, and advocacy across campus. Apart from conducting research under Dr. Alexandra Cockerham, Evelyn also currently serves as an the Founder and President of the Speech & Oratory Development Association at FSU, an organization she established to help students build confidence, develop public speaking skills, and find their voice is advocacy. She is also a member of FSU's Justice-Impacted Student Organization, where she works with directly and indirectly impacted students to expand access to resources and support within the university community. Through her involvement as an Article Editor for the Undergraduate Law Review, where she reviews legal writing for clarity, structure, and adherence to citation standards, as well as other campus organizations such as the Women in Pre-Law Society and Lambda Alpha Epsilon, Evelyn has cultivated her passion for legal advocacy, restorative justice, and creating pathways for equitable opportunity within the justice system. She is committed to empowering others to advocate for themselves and pursue a tangible, meaningful change. She plans to go to law school after completing her undergraduate studies at FSU.

Assessing the Impact of Leon and Alachua County Teen Courts

Abstract

Teen courts are diversion programs that are an increasingly utilized approach that emphasize mental and emotional development within the juvenile justice system, aiming to reduce recidivism and promote accountability and community service. While these programs aim to provide an effective and supportive way to get juveniles back on the right footing, in comparison to other traditional justice programs, they have limited evidence for what works in the status quo. This study examines Leon and Alachua counties’ teen courts to determine which practices are most effective. Through a qualitative research design, this project expands upon the initial literature review with site visits to both counties’ teen courts to observe court structure, accommodations, physical properties, procedures, youth participation, and restorative practices, highlighting procedural and environmental differences to determine which methods are most effective. The anticipated outcome is the development of a preliminary framework to be used to create a future teen court operations manual, proving relevant to assisting the juvenile community in increasing rehabilitation and improving program effectiveness and consistency across state and federal lines. Future steps include expanding observations to additional counties throughout Florida to broaden the range of observation and data, enhance the accuracy of findings through multiple site visits at each location, and develop a better understanding of the best practices statewide to be used as an introductory demonstration for the nation.

Keywords: teen court, juvenile justice, law, political science, criminology