Juvenile Court In-House Programs

Youth Educational Shoplifting Program (Y.E.S)

The Youth Educational Shoplifting (Y.E.S.) Program was designed by the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (N.A.S.P.) for first-time theft offenders. It is a home study program which requires a total of five to six hours to complete. It is for those 10 to 17 years old and is based on a 5th grade level education. The tuition fee is $65.00 which must be enclosed with the application. A packet containing a workbook, CDs and an answer sheet is mailed to the child and they have three weeks from their registration date to complete the program and return the answer sheet to N.A.S.P. The Y.E.S. Program eliminates court hearings, probation time, and substantially higher court fees. If the child successfully completes the program the Court will dismiss the theft by shoplifting charge.

The Front Porch

The Front Porch is a Juvenile Court led collaborative that has been designed to reduce both recidivism and court involvement among youth who pose little to no risk to community safety. Each individual is assessed by a Front Porch staff and referred to a multi-agency panel. The panel will develop an intervention plan for each child that is designed to address their underlying issues. The Front Porch staff will work with all partner agencies involved and provide assistance to facilitate and implement the intervention plan.

For more information, visit: Front Porch Website

The Front Porch Community Agency/School Referral Form

Work Readiness Enrichment Program (WREP)

WREP is an 18 week juvenile court referred program that serves 15 disconnected, system involved youth ages 14-16 who without significant intervention are at a high risk to re-offend. The goal of WREP is to provide educational programming to bring participants back to their grade level, work readiness training, so they are qualified to enter the workforce, and support services to help address the root cause of their chronic delinquent behavior and activity. WREP targets students enrolled in Savannah Chatham County Public School System’s Intensive Behavior Unit program (less than full day program), given this is the population with the highest delinquency and recidivism rates in Chatham County Juvenile Court.

Diversion Committee

The Diversion program is designed to divert cases prior to court and reduce court involvement. This program targets young offenders (under the age of 11), first time offenders and children with minor charges. Members of the diversion screening committee review the complaints, police reports, any other relevant documents and communicates with the family and youth. Diversion methods include: warning letter, office warning, informal adjustment, victim letter, or dismissal (if no probable cause). These children may also be sent to attend a program such as Mediation, Anger Management, Community Conferencing, Y.E.S. program, or Community Service. In 2018, this committee reviewed 17% of delinquent referrals.

Community Conferencing

Community Conferencing is a conflict resolution program that collectively provides ways for people to resolve conflict and crime. The conference provides an opportunity for parties to take accountability for their actions. Parties sit in a circle and discuss what occurred, how each party was affected and work together to resolve the issue. Parties include those involved and supporters and/or representatives from other organizations. A third party facilitates the conference at a convenient location.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

The CASA program recruits, screens, trains and supervises volunteers who serve as advocates for abused or neglected children that are under the jurisdiction of the Chatham County Juvenile Court. These volunteers conduct investigations, participate in court hearings, and provide a recommendation to the judge regarding what they believe is in the best interest of the child.

Mediation

Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution in which the conflicting parties come together to discuss their differences, express concerns, explore options, and negotiate a mutually agreeable solution. All parties involved meet with a neutral third party (a mediator) to effectively communicate the details of the conflict and their feelings, perceptions, and interests to the other party. The goal is to have both parties resolve their conflict. At the end of the mediation, if an agreement is reached, a binding agreement is written and signed. Upon compliance, the case is dismissed.

Electronic Monitor

Youth wear ankle monitors and may only leave the home as scheduled. Any deviation is automatically transmitted electronically to the probation or intake officer.

Wrap Around Services

The youth is released to a parent or guardian with in-home services provided by a private agency. A licensed therapist works with the family several hours per week, for up to 30 days. Services include counseling and crisis management.

Functional Family Therapy (FFT)

FFT is an evidence-based, family therapy intervention for the treatment of violent, criminal, behavioral, school, or conduct problems with youth and their families. FFT is designed to improve family communication and supportiveness, while decreasing negativity and dysfunctional patterns of behavior.

Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST)

This is an intensive family- and community-based treatment that addresses the multiple causes of serious antisocial behavior across key settings, or systems within which youth are embedded (family, peers, school, and neighborhood). Because MST emphasizes promoting behavior change in the youth's natural environment, the program aims to empower parents with the skills and resources needed to independently address the inevitable difficulties that arise in raising teenagers, and to empower youth to cope with the family, peer, school, and neighborhood problems they encounter.

Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT)

This twelve-step educational program is a cognitive, moral-based intervention designed to help youth recognize the relationship between unhealthy thinking and poor behavioral choices. Youth are confronted with taking responsibility for the results of their sometimes erroneous values and challenged to face the reality of the need for change.