In-House Restoration Education Program

2012 NACo Achievement Award Winner

Maricopa County, Ariz., AZ

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

By Arizona statute, when a delinquency petition is filed on a juvenile (a person under the age of eighteen), it is the Court’s responsibility to ensure that juvenile understands the process of the Court as well as their role within that process. In order to determine whether a juvenile has the level of understanding necessary, they are evaluated. If after the evaluation, it is determined they do not possess the level of knowledge required to proceed, they enter into the restoration program. The Restoration Program was designed to educate juveniles within the Maricopa County Juvenile Court system to a level necessary for them to assist their attorney with their defense, which also gives them the confidence to fully participate in the justice system. When faced with the dilemma of how to meet a statutory requirement in a cost effective manner that would engage youth in the learning process, the Juvenile Court revised their restoration program. By utilization of an autonomy-supportive style to introduce the learning material, Juvenile Court Educators take an empathic perspective towards adolescents and teens that produces better outcomes. This cost effective program increases juvenile knowledge of the Court system, decreases the number of times juveniles need to be seen and decreased the amount of time juveniles spent moving through the system.

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