Carrollton High School rising senior Amira Dhople, who has established the Carrollton Teen Youth Court, standing outside the Carroll County courthouse.
Carrollton High School rising senior Amira Dhople has partnered with local agencies to establish the new Carrollton Teen Youth Court. Through the experience she gained as a part of the Carrollton City Youth Council, Amira was inspired to establish this unique process, allowing high school students to participate in an advisory jury and learn more about the justice system.
While attending a youth council symposium in Dublin, Georgia, during her freshman year, Amira first learned about youth councils. She witnessed Dublin’s teen court program make a profound impact on their community by providing opportunities for the juvenile cases to be heard by a jury of their peers, who are committed to implementing restorative practices.
Bringing this new initiative to Carrollton has been Amira’s focus over the past few years.
“I decided to pursue establishing a teen court in Carrollton because I know it can make a positive impact and get more youth involved in our community,” said Amira. “An important goal of this program is to give offenders a chance to learn from their mistakes and help them change their mindset.”
From discussing her ideas with city council members and court supervisors to organizing interviews for interested participants, Amira has worked diligently to bring this unique extracurricular to fruition.
The Carrollton Teen Youth Court jury members will serve in an advisory role, reviewing juvenile cases and recommending potential consequences for the presiding judge to consider in sentencing. These recommendations often include a commitment plan for the teen offender to accept responsibility for his or her choices and implement a path for change, such as participation in anger management classes, counseling with a mentor or community service. The identity and privacy of the teen offender will be protected. Student volunteers selected will complete various trainings to support the program’s goals.
Communities across the country have implemented this process and observed a decrease in repeat offenders. Both high school court members and offenders benefit from this process because it allows both parties to review and consider the potential judicial sentences for illegal actions and recommend consequences that require accountability and discourage further delinquent behaviors.
From her initial interview for the city’s youth council to her efforts today, Carrollton Chief of Police Joel Richards said he is continually impressed by Amira.
“We are proud of the work and dedication that she has put into the first teen court in Carrollton,” said Richards. “I am looking forward to seeing how it will benefit our youth.”
Through founding this initiative, Amira discovered a new passion for criminal justice and public policy, which led her to accept an internship at Carrollton’s Municipal Court. Moving forward, she hopes to grow the program and encourage teens to actively engage in the community.
“Amira goes above and beyond in her academic work and has taken her commitment to extracurriculars to the next level by establishing this unique opportunity for CHS students to be involved in our community,” said CHS Principal Ian Lyle. “We are proud of her and will continue to support her as she accomplishes her goals.”
