During September, the Pennington County Teen Court and the South Dakota Teen Court Association joins the more than 1,200 youth courts in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in the sixth annual celebration of National Youth Court Month.

There are currently 11 counties in South Dakota that utilize a Teen Court. Teen volunteers are trained to perform as jurors, prosecution and defense attorneys, court clerks, exit officers and mentors in a real sentencing hearing. Volunteers practice and teach restorative justice by holding their peers accountable, increasing their competencies, and involving the community in their disposition.

The Pennington County Teen Court was created in the State's Attorney's Office in 2001 and has heard almost 700 cases.

Typically, the offenses are misdemeanors and the youth, who are ages 13 through17, have little or no history with law enforcement. Types of offenses vary, but the top three in 2006 were Minor Consumption of Alcohol, Possession and/or Ingestion of Marijuana, and Shoplifting merchandise at value less than $100. Successful completion is determined by how many youths complete the program within the 3 months allowed. Since 2002, the completion rate has been 82 percent to 92 percent.

There are more than 100,000 youths volunteering for Youth Courts. About 200 youth have volunteered for the Pennington County Teen Court - many of whom are former defendants who returned as volunteers after their sentence was complete.

Currently, there are 30 teens who actively participate, and not only are they providing a service to the juvenile court and law enforcement, but they share what they have learned with their friends, families, schools and community which encourages greater citizenship amongst their peers.

The U.S. Senate has designated September 2007 as National Youth Court Month, and Governor Rounds proclaimed Teen Court Month in South Dakota as well. This year's theme is "Empowering Youth - Experiencing Justice."

Teen Court certainly does both of those things, and should be applauded for its innovation and success. We urge more South Dakota counties to take advantage of the program for the good of teenagers and the communities they live in.