ACLU of Wisconsin Foundation Launches Teen Court Program in the City of Milwaukee

October 4, 2004

The pilot program of the Milwaukee Teen Tribunal, the City of Milwaukee’s first restorative justice teen court, will take place at Milwaukee Education Center (MEC) middle school during the 2004-05 academic year.

The program will be offered to first-time student offenders of truancy, loitering, theft, vandalism and disorderly conduct that occur on school grounds or, in the case of truancy, during school hours. Students who are accepted into the program will address a panel of three of their peers and hear how their actions impacted others in the school “community”, including victims and community representatives. Completion of their contracts includes service as a Tribunal officer.

“I am very excited to be involved in a behavioral intervention program that encourages self-reflection, supports accountability, and administers meaningful consequences within the learning environment,” said Deborah Bell, principal of MEC middle school.

Bell also believes that the pre-hearing conferences with victims and offenders and their parent or guardian, to ensure that all participants understand the Tribunal process, is a valuable tool to connect parents to their child’s school.

The Milwaukee Teen Tribunal is coordinated by the ACLU of Wisconsin Foundation as part of its extensive youth outreach and has the full cooperation of the Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee Public Schools, Municipal Court of Milwaukee and the City Attorney’s office.

The Honorable James Gramling is a judge of the Municipal Court of Milwaukee and an architect of the program, “ Kids who get in our court system too often miss their downtown court dates and get warrants and license suspensions. This program will enable them to resolve their cases where they started– in the school building. It is a significant piece in the development of community justice. MPS and MEC are to be congratulated for taking on this project.”

Nichole Yunk, director of the ACLU of Wisconsin’s Youth & Civil Liberties Council, places the Tribunal program in a broader context of youth empowerment.

“When given the opportunity and encouragement to make decisions about their own environments, students themselves will create the most positive and longest-lasting impact,” Yunk said.

The program’s volunteers will be joined by city and MPS officials to celebrate its inception at an Open House to be held on February 1, 2005 at the Milwaukee Education Center.