Research Symposium

BIO

Emma Pennington is a sophomore at Florida State University and a Jacksonville, Florida native, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a minor in Mathematics. Her research focuses on the juvenile justice system, particularly analyzing the impacts that Teen Court diversion programs have on youth recidivism rates. Emma's interest in this project stems from her years of experience volunteering with the Teen Court program. Outside of juvenile justice, her research interests lie in the antitrust, labor, and public policy branches of economics. After completing her undergraduate degree, Emma intends to further her education by attending graduate school and earning a Master's of Applied Economics.

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: juvenile justice, teen court, qualitative, recidivism