Reproduced from the Jefferson County Delinquency Prevention Council 2007 Annual Report with permission.
2008 initiated an exciting new partnership between the Watertown Unified School District and Opportunities, Inc. with the start of “Panther Court” at Riverside Middle School. Panther Court is a school based teen court used as an alternative discipline option that links students, teachers and parents. In Panther Court, Riverside Middle School students fulfill the roles of prosecutor, defense lawyer, bailiff, and jurors. This program has been labeled by the school as an early intervention program that provides an opportunity for selected juvenile offenders to be questioned, judged and sentenced by a jury of their peers.
Riverside Middle School identified the types of offenses that are referred to the Panther Court program. Acceptable offenses include, but are not limited to, persistent disobedience, persistent disruptive behavior, failure to follow a reasonable request, persistent lateness/truancy, alcohol possession/consumption, tobacco possession/consumption, fighting, or vandalism. A counselor at Riverside Middle School had the following statement regarding the program,
_“The Panther Court program has given us another useful tool in the discipline model for the school. It teaches problem solving skills of how to learn from mistakes and how to fix mistakes to the defendant and to all the students on the jury. This is much more helpful than just suspension or detention because it restores the student back in the community. Students on the jury stated that it feels good to participate in their school discipline program. The teachers are recognizing that the restorative justice model is an effective model for discipline for middle school students. The partnership between Opportunities, Inc. and Riverside Middle School for Panther Court is a perfect fit. Opportunities, Inc. brings experience running Teen Court effectively and efficiently. Riverside Middle School administratively through Mr. Jacobson and Mr. Zibell brings an openness to
try new ideas that will help students grow into good citizens. We would hope that other school districts will pick up on this program and its value to their school communities.”_
