Heads up, Surprise youth, The City of Surprise is on the lookout for fresh faces to join the Surprise Youth Justice Project. This initiative gives students in grades 6 through 12 a chance to play an active role in restorative justice processes within their community. Partnered with Maricopa County and Surprise City Court, these youngsters will get real-world experience by participating in Teen Court, a program tailored for juvenile offenders, as reported by the City of Surprise recent news release.
In Teen Court, it's the juveniles themselves who have a say in the fate of their peers. Offenders are judged by a jury of their age mates, who then deliberate on the constructive actions needed to make amends for the wrongs committed. The program is set to kick off on August 25 with a group orientation at the Surprise City Court, with its run extending through April 2026, according to the City of Surprise.
For those eager to jump in, here's what you need: residency in Surprise -- whether that’s living there, attending school, or doing homeschool -- and the ability to commit to monthly Teen Court sessions on the last Monday of every month from 3 to 5 p.m., barring city holidays. Interested individuals have some paperwork to complete; the Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department Teen Court Program application, which can be found on their website. After filling that out, send it over to Kara Poling at [email protected] by August 20. Space is limited, so don't dawdle. Confirmations of acceptance will hit inboxes by August 22. For all the details, dive into the City of Surprise official page at surpriseaz.gov/YouthJustice.
