Teen Court Partnership with Hale 'Ōpio Kaua'i Inc. Shows Exciting Results in Improving Outcomes for Youth
LĪHU‘E — Preliminary findings from an ongoing study of Hale 'Ōpio Kaua'i's Teen Court program in collaboration with the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney (OPA) indicate promising outcomes for youth referred. There is a very low risk of recidivism (3.4 percent) as measured by new cases referred to the OPA between March 2020 and April 2023. These results suggest that the Hale 'Ōpio Teen Court should be expanded to more referrals and more serious cases.
"It is very encouraging," said Rebecca Like, Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Kaua'i. “Programs like Hale 'Ōpio Kaua'i's Teen Court allow OPA to keep our community safe by providing consequences that help youth learn to make better choices, while also providing them with resources that will help them thrive and avoid contact with the system in the future. I look forward to our continued partnership and working with partners to expand the use of Teen Court.”
Hale 'Ōpio Kaua'i's Teen Court stands out as an alternative for low-risk youth. It proactively addresses the underlying needs of Kaua'i's youth by offering culturally responsive alternatives to incarceration. The program diverts youth from criminal prosecution into an alternative "court" involving teen jurors. This collaborative approach helps develop resolutions better suited for teenagers than traditional prosecution or incarceration. Unlike other teen court programs, Hale 'Ōpio provides comprehensive ongoing services based on individual needs, including education, housing, and substance use support. This holistic approach empowers youth to address the root causes of their behavior and make positive changes in their lives.
"The Kaua‘i Police Department is grateful for the opportunity to partner with OPA andHale 'Ōpio Kaua'i's Teen Court program,” said Police Chief Todd Raybuck. “The keiki are our community’s greatest resource. The early successes by the participants in this program have shown the value of this partnership and helped divert youth away from the criminal justice system and toward successful adulthood."
An ongoing analysis of the Hale 'Ōpio program by the Vera Institute of Justice shows that its participants had substantially lower recidivism rates compared to other young people prosecuted by the office. Preliminary data indicates that out of 118 participants who faced misdemeanor charges and completed the program between March 2020 and April 2023, only four (3.4 percent) had a new case referred to the office within a year. For context, among all youth with cases referred to the office during the same period and not referred to Hale 'Ōpio, 21 percent had a subsequent case referred to the office within a year. This suggests that Hale 'Ōpio participants exhibit a significantly lower risk of recidivism than conventionally prosecuted youth. Further study would determine the extent to which the program contributes to this difference and how much is attributable to the participant screening process.
For more information about the Hale 'Ōpio Kaua'i's Teen Court program, visit haleopio.org
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