Restorative Justice: Salt Lake Peer Court Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline?

• In Event: 4155 - Section on Crime, Law, and Deviance Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 4. Current Policies and New Directions in Youth Justice

Abstract

There is an increased acceptance of youth courts grounded in restorative justice principles to divert first time non-violent offenders away from formal juvenile court entry. Research that examines and assesses the effectiveness of various teen/peer courts is mixed. This study analyzes 2010 – 2016 Salt Lake Peer Court data to assess legal and extra-legal factors that influence the participation in and completion of this diversionary program for first-time Salt Lake City youth referrals. Overall, legal factors impacted outcomes more than extra-legal factors. While no direct gender or racial disparities emerged from the analyses, a significant interaction effect emerged with non-white referrals assigned all three restorative justice dispositions more likely to successfully complete Salt Lake Peer Court. Implications of the study are discussed with regards to disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline that disproportionately impact communities of color.

Authors

• Ed A. Munoz, University of Utah

• Rebecca Young Owen, University of Utah

• Moises Prospero, iChamps