By Marium Zahra for Yes! Media.
Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Texas News Service reporting for the Yes! Media-Public News Service Collaboration

If [students] are being told not only by teachers but by the system and everyone around them that they're 'bad kids,' you're sort of putting them on a path where they have no other choice but [to go] from school to prison," says Judge Michelle Morales, founder of the Teen Court in El Paso, Texas.

A court of teenagers, by teenagers, and for teenagers, Teen Court is exactly what it sounds like: a program giving a new name to justice and serving young people across Texas. The court offers a voluntary alternative from the traditional court system for teens under 17 who commit Class C misdemeanors. Students can avoid a fine and instead receive their penalty in constructive ways such as community service and jury terms in the Teen Court. Once completed, the charge is completely removed from their record.

The program allows young people to plead guilty in front of a student jury that empathizes with their situation and asks them questions about circumstances-their background, home situation, economic status, and what led them to commit the offense. Rather than face a punitive system, teens can avoid unpleasant experiences with law enforcement and move through an alternative criminal justice system that values them.

Student attorney Alex Gonzalez, who is from El Paso, says the program is a way to avoid pigeonholing teens. "The program shifts the focus from labeling students as 'offenders' or 'juveniles' in a negative light to seeing them as people who made a mistake and are now learning from it," she says.

The goal of the court and the student jury is to set teens up for success by making sure the penalty is feasible for each person. In Teen Court, what counts as community service isn't strictly limited to volunteering; it's any self-improvement action, such as going to counseling, achieving a higher grade in a class, or joining an extracurricular class.

Sophia Garza, the juvenile case manager and director of El Paso's Teen Court program explains how community service is defined broadly to accommodate all students. "I have kids that live on the other side, in Mexico, but they attend school in El Paso. ... But as long as they're doing anything that betters themselves or betters their community, I will take it as community service," she says.

Sherry Maximoff, Williamson County attorney and Teen Court supervisor, says the volunteer hours also work as constructive punishment for teens because it encourages them to take care of a community they have served. "If you are taught to give back to your community and to volunteer, it gives you a sense of ownership and responsibility over your community. This is my community, and I'm going to clean up those streets, then why would I commit criminal mischief or litter?" she says.

In recent years, Texas has increased criminalization and policing of teens, especially those of color. The state has intensified the number of law enforcement officers on K-12 campuses with larger populations of Latinx and Black students. This has resulted in Black students in particular being overrepresented in arrests, court referrals, and use-of-force incidents. With students of color across the state saying they fear the increasing number of officers on campuses, Teen Court allows them to avoid traumatizing experiences with law enforcement and have their stories heard without judgment from people within the system.

"[Students are] not dealing with anyone who they identify as law enforcement. That's the whole point of positive peer pressure, that it is their peers who stand in judgment of them, not law enforcement, not the system," explains Morales about how the program is a part of the justice system that veers heavily away from criminalizing students of color.

Garza also says that she notices teens feeling more comfortable once they see other teens on the jury. "When I sit with the youth I can see some are being very cautious. I do see the youth open up more, share a little bit more with their peers, maybe because they feel like if they're going to be judged, their peers are going to understand their situation a little bit better," she explains.

As a state that eschews gun regulation, Texas has also used the overpolicing of schools as a temporary "solution" for gun violence. At a time when students are being criminalized at such a high rate, Teen Court programs allow students from marginalized communities to have their stories heard. This is especially important because students going through the system are often dealing with issues far too serious for their age bracket and sometimes beyond their control.

Williamson County Teen Court volunteer Audrey Seigman talks about a case in which a teen was involved in an accident while driving their siblings to school. "This person was put in a very difficult position. Their parents made them drive their siblings because they were busy with jobs. The accident wasn't their fault, but the police found out they weren't qualified to be driving and cited them," she says.

Other student attorneys say that they've seen similar cases with teens who struggle with issues beyond their control because they come from first-generation families. "[There was] a case involving a student who didn't speak English. He was charged with theft, but it became clear that he didn't fully understand what was happening or how the legal system worked. His family had recently immigrated and there was a huge language barrier," says Gargi Singh, a student attorney with the Williamson Teen Court program.

Gonzalez says that declining mental health is common among teens who enter the program. "Cases involve students dealing with emotional or psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, or trauma. A student might engage in risky behavior as a coping mechanism for their mental health struggles."

In recent years, there has been a resurgence in "tough on crime" approaches to the justice system, including proposed legislation and harsh political commentary from the right. The conservative federal policy agenda Project 2025 seeks to increase criminalization and policing by eliminating training for federal law enforcement. Former President Donald Trump has promised he would increase the militarization of police and expand incarceration and the death penalty if elected. In such a context, Teen Court programs are more important than ever, offering a crucial opportunity for teens to bypass the school-to-prison pipeline. Students are more likely to avoid entering the system later in their lives because Teen Court embodies a form of restorative justice that doesn't use law enforcement or incarceration for discipline.

"At the very lowest level, where the consequences are least impactful, we give them a positive experience with the criminal justice system. You interrupt that pipeline there, both with the way the child begins to define themselves and by actually physically dismissing the ticket," says Morales about how Teen Court directly curbs the school-to-prison pipeline. "We have defendants who have gone through the program and have had such a positive experience at the end that they have chosen to become volunteers," she adds.

Judge Elaine Marshall from Houston, Texas, talks about her Teen Court program and how it has discouraged recidivism among teens in her community. "I started my Teen Court in 2000. From those years I have had no repeat offenders. It says a lot that we've had students who come through as offenders wanting to join the program."

For student volunteers, the program is also a unique way to learn about the legal system and restorative justice. Especially in a state like Texas, which censors students from learning about historical injustices, Teen Court gives students a hands-on opportunity to learn about nuances within the criminal justice system.

"[The program] is not about branding students as 'criminals' but about showing them that they're capable of growth. It has shown me how crucial empathy and understanding are in fostering real change," says Singh.

Teen Court is creating a generation of students who know that reform in the criminal justice system is both necessary and possible. The program bridges gaps between teens and builds community and empathy, giving students the confidence to fight for change.


Marium Zahra wrote this article for Yes! Media.

Indiana's youth are facing a growing mental health crisis, and officials say urgent action is needed. Nearly half of high school students in the state report experiencing depression, and suicide attempts among youth continue to increase.

Tami Silverman, president and CEO of Indiana Youth Institute highlights the struggles teens face in silence, as well as the challenges families encounter in accessing the necessary support and resources.

"Nearly half - 47% - of the students reported experiencing depression within the last year. And so, that's been pretty consistent over the past couple years, but still that's a tremendous number," she said.

In 2023, nearly one in four students planned suicide, and more than 15% attempted it. Female and LGBTQ+ students report higher rates of mental health challenges compared to their peers, reflecting significant disparities.

Barriers to accessing care worsen the situation, with two-thirds of Indiana youth who experience major depression not receiving treatment. The shortage of mental health providers across the state further limits access. Silverman called on schools and community organizations to play a pivotal role by training staff to identify mental health issues early and implementing peer mentorship programs.

"For young people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression recognizing and embracing those glimmers - those positive moments - can help provide even brief respite from some of their stress or anxiety," she continued.

Silverman also emphasized the importance of promoting mental health literacy to reduce stigma and improve access to care. By addressing challenges, Indiana can create an environment where all youth receive the support they need to thrive," she said.


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A national voting rights group supports a push to lower the voting age in California and other states to 16 for state and local elections.

The Vote16 USA campaign, is sponsored by Generation Citizen, a movement to get young voters involved in the political system and change their world for the better.

LaJuan Allen, Vote16 USA director for the group, said research showed the earlier students get involved, the more likely they will be lifetime voters.

"The earlier we start, the more likely we are to develop lifelong voters in folks that are civically engaged," Allen pointed out. "The data backs this up. The studies back this up. If you vote in one election, you're much more likely to vote in another. And if we start that early, that percentage goes up."

Allen noted California already has an early preregistration system and this November, Alameda County will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections in Oakland and Berkley. Other states with youth voter programs include New Jersey, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Maryland.

A study by the YouthTruth Civic Empowerment Project found high school age students want to be politically involved but lack the necessary civics skills. Allen stressed the Vote16 USA project has found large numbers of youths are already involved is social movements with an eye toward improving their future.

"Young people are leading a lot of the movements that we see across our country today," Allen observed. "We think about climate justice reform. We think about education policy. We think about common sense gun violence prevention. It is young people that are at the forefront of these issues."

The last time the voting age was changed was a half-century ago when the 26th Amendment was ratified in 1971, lowering the national age from 21 to 18. Allen added they are pushing individual states and cities to make the change rather than trying to amend the Constitution.


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A new report offers some solutions for at least 119,000 young people in Connecticut who are described as being "disconnected" from work or school.

"Disconnection" means they have either dropped out or are close to dropping out of school. It also applies to young people ages 18-26 who are unemployed or unemployable.

Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association, said the state making college a priority beyond high school may be a worthy goal but it has also contributed to the disconnection issue.

"We've heavily invested in college as a solid vehicle for post-high-school endeavors," Dias observed. "I think one of the spaces that we need to continue to evolve is the idea that there's a lot of opportunities post-high school."

She added building up opportunities for students to see other pathways will help, including apprenticeships and alternatives to college. The overall goal of the "Young People First" plan is to get 60,000 at-risk and disconnected youth, ages 14-26, back on track by 2035.

The report, from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, said having so many disconnected young residents costs the state about $750 million annually. It estimated implementing the entire plan would cost between $600 million and $700 million, combining some new spending with leveraging existing resources. Dias acknowledged doing big things requires big "asks."

"We're going to need to look at our state-level leaders and ask them to make an investment," Dias explained. "Connecticut has resources. There are monies on the table, and we have to remember government exists for the sole purpose of supporting community, and this would be a fundamental opportunity to do that."

Dias pointed out teachers would play a big part in the plan, since they can shape curriculum and how students are prepared for life after high school. Along with building networks with different professionals, she argued it is important for young people to see there are different versions of success.

"Part of our responsibility as educators is to ensure we understand the world we're bringing these students into," Dias asserted. "If we need to learn more, that we do so. And I think, by and large, educators tend to embrace; I mean, we are learners at heart, so we tend to embrace the opportunities to learn more and do more with our students."


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