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COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT Partnership Gives Juveniles a Second Chance By Mark Schuck The Juvenile Consequences Partnership seeks to educate juvenile offenders in Harris County about the consequences of being charged with a crime and the effects such a charge can have on one’s life. Children in Texas under the age of 17 who commit crimes are charged under the Juvenile Justice Code. When they are charged with misdemeanor offenses, they often accept deferred adjudication in lieu of more stringent punishment. As one of the conditions to the completion of deferred adjudication in Harris County, a juvenile may be required to attend a program put on by the Juvenile Consequences Partnership. The partnership was formed in September 2007, and it is a joint effort between the Houston Bar Association, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the Houston Police Department, and the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department. At the monthly program, a prosecutor from the Harris County District Attorney’s office, a senior level Houston Police Officer, a Harris County Juvenile Probation Officer, and a local juvenile defense attorney each talk to the kids about his or her involvement in the juvenile justice process and the tremendous impact that committing a crime can have on a person’s life. Parents are also required to attend the meeting with the child; hence the program serves to educate parents as well as their children about the overall juvenile justice process and what will happen with their case. Harvey Hetzel, executive director of the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, feels that the program has a profound impact on audience members. Hetzel says he has seen “people in the audience have a reaction to just how devoted the speakers are” to helping the young offenders. Hetzel said, “Most of the kids are good kids who have just made bad decisions.” He added that the probation officers who speak at the program emphasize to both juveniles and parents the importance of knowing the terms of the deferred adjudication agreement, as well as abiding by the agreement. Bill Hawkins, former chief of the Juvenile Justice Division in the Harris County DA’s office, said that one of the key goals from the prosecution’s perspective is to impart to juveniles that “they have made a big mistake in judgment, but they are getting a huge break, and we don’t want to see them back.” Hawkins said that the DA’s office was “a huge fan of the program and very proud to participate in it.” Terrence Windham, another prosecutor in the Harris County DA’s office and current co-chair of the Juvenile Consequences Partnership, said that the goal of the program is to basically “scare the kids straight” and to help make them realize the consequences of breaking the law. Windham said that if a juvenile successfully completes deferred adjudication, his or her records from the offense may be sealed and essentially wiped clean. They are, in effect, given a second chance. Assistant Chief of Police John Trevino of the Houston Police Department said, “The ultimate goal of the Juvenile Consequences Partnership is to save lives and give first offenders a second chance at life. If we can deal with [the juvenile offenders] at the front end, we hope it enables us to not have to deal with them as adult criminals.” The program is held on the third Tuesday of every month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Juvenile Justice Center, which is located downtown at 1200 Congress near the Harris County Criminal Justice Center and Harris County Civil Courthouse. HBA members who volunteer for this committee are typically juvenile defense attorneys who participate in the monthly program by explaining the juvenile justice system through the attorney’s perspective. For more information on volunteering for the Juvenile Consequences Partnership, contact Lucy Fisher at the HBA at 713.759.1133 or e-mail lucyf@hba.org. Mark Schuck runs The Schuck Law Firm, where he focuses on business litigation and appeals. He is a member of The Houston Lawyer editorial board. |
