Muskingum County Juvenile Court

Family Dependency Court

In 2015, Juvenile Court received initial certification from the Supreme Court of Ohio to conduct Family Dependency Court. To receive this certification, Muskingum County Juvenile Court had to submit an application to the Supreme Court Commission on Specialized Dockets; undergo a site visit by commission members; and provide specific program materials in compliance with certification standards. On January 15, 2016, the Commission on Specialized Dockets awarded Muskingum County Juvenile Courts Family Dependency Court its final certification pursuant to Sup. R. 36.26.

This specialized docket was conceived by Judge Martin to provide collaborative evaluation and treatment services for substance dependent parents who have lost or are at risk of losing custody of their children due to abuse, neglect, or dependency. These intensive services are provided with the expectation that the parents will overcome substance abuse and will address mental health resulting in a more fully functioning parent, which facilitates case plan compliance and expedites a potential reunification of parents and children.

This specialized docket is a collaboration between Muskingum County Juvenile Court and local agencies such as Muskingum County Children Services, Muskingum Behavioral Health, Allwell, Six County Inc., Mental Health and Recovery Services, representatives of the prosecutor’s office as well as those in the legal community.

In order to participate in Family Dependency Court, a parent must have a moderate to severe drug or alcohol problem or ongoing mental health issues which contribute to a finding by the Court that his/her/their child/children were abused, neglected, or dependent. Family Dependency Court is a voluntary program and parents must be willing to take part in a five (5) phase program and comply with all treatment and case plan requirements. Treatment team members provide that extra support and accountability to parents as they work to achieve and maintain sobriety and stability in their lives.

Participants receive incentives such as certificates of achievement, public recognition, and gift certificates to local restaurants, movie theaters, and places of business as they progress through the program. Those who do not comply with the program requirements may face sanctions or dismissal from the program.

For more information about Family Dependency Court, please contact Peggi Cater at 740-453-0351.

Jr Hope Court

In 2016, Juvenile Court received initial certification from the Supreme Court of Ohio to conduct Jr. Hope Court. To receive this certification, Muskingum County Juvenile Court had to submit an application to the Supreme Court Commission on Specialized Dockets, undergo a site visit by commission members, and provide specific program materials in compliance with certification standards. The mission of Jr. Hope Court is to assist juveniles involved with criminal and unruly behavior to lead drug free lives; to discontinue criminal activity; and to promote healthy behavior and effective living. To accomplish these goals, the Court draws together a treatment team that includes mental health and drug treatment professionals that work collaboratively to assess the needs of the youth and his parents.

Participation in Jr. Hope Court is strictly voluntary and occurs after the youth has admitted the conduct for which he/she is accused. If a youth desires to participate in the program, most if not all, court sanctions will be suspended pending successful completion of the program. Participants receive incentives such as certificates of achievement, public recognition, and gift certificates to local restaurants, movie theaters, and places of business as they progress through the program. Those who do not comply with the program requirements may face sanctions or dismissal from the program.

For more information about Jr. Hope Court, please contact Peggi Cater at 740-453-0351.

Re-Entry

The Reentry Initiative focuses on providing comprehensive, individualized plans which facilitate transition of youth from Department of Youth Services facilities back into the community. Court system personnel recognized that a successful reentry plan is created through the collaboration of, not only the community stakeholders, but also, the youth and family, and that the reentry plan must begin the day the youth is committed to the ODYS facility. Through the collaborative efforts of all involved, a holistic approach has been designed and implemented to develop a transitional plan which incorporates community protection as well as the juvenile’s competency and accountability through counseling services, routine surveillance checks, employment preparation and education monitoring.

The Muskingum County Juvenile Court utilizes the grant funds to assign a Probation Officer to specifically provide intensive supervision and programming to youths being released from Community Correctional Facilities and the Department of Youth Services’ institutions.

In effort to assist the Reentry youths, the Court utilizes grant funding to contract with the Lelia L. Payton Counseling Center to administer services to the youths and family during the incarceration period and upon transition back to the community. The Center provides the Second Chance Program for the youths and the Step Teen Program for the parents, as well as out-patient mental health counseling and home based counseling.

For more information about the Re-Entry Initiative, please contact Lindsay Daniels at 740-453-0351.

Carteens

The CARTEENS Program is a traffic safety program for first time juvenile traffic offenders. The CAR in CARTEENS stands for “caution and responsibility” while TEENS refers to the teenagers who help prepare and present the program. The program’s primary goal is to reduce the number of repeat juvenile offenders by educating teen traffic offenders of the consequences of unsafe driving and by providing tips for safer driving. Participants in the program attend one session which lasts approximately two (2) hours. Program topics include drinking and driving, seatbelt safety, distracted driving related to use of cell phones and other handheld devises, consequences of unsafe driving, and tips for safer driving.

The CARTEENS Program was implemented by the Muskingum County Juvenile Court in January 1995 with the assistance of The Cooperative Extension Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. It is held monthly at the Muskingum County Juvenile Court. During 2019, an average of twenty (20) offenders attended with a parent, per session. Each offender pays the cost of $25.00 to the Cooperative Extension Office. Overall, eleven thousand first time juvenile traffic offenders have attended the program since its inception.

The most important part of the program is the teen presenters who take their time to come in and speak to their peers. They read poems, speak about consequences, and talk to the teen offenders. The program was designed so the offenders could relate to their own age group instead of several adults speaking to them and telling them the same thing. A peer, who is highly motivated toward safety, can be the effective catalyst to change a juvenile traffic offender’s behavior.

For more information about the Carteens, please contact Jen Quinn at 740-453-0351.

Diversion

The Juvenile Diversion Program was established as a program of early intervention to divert youths from direct involvement with the Juvenile Justice System. This program is supported by Juvenile Rule 9(A) that “in all appropriate cases formal court action should be avoided and other community resources utilized to ameliorate situations brought to the attention of the court.”

The Diversion Program provides an opportunity for low risk unruly and delinquent offenders to be diverted from formal adjudication with the attempt to the hold the youth accountable for his or her actions and to minimize penetration into the juvenile justice system. In recent years, the Diversion Program has accepted youth charged with “Sexting” offenses. Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit photos, images or messages electronically, primarily by mobile phone or the internet, that are taken with or without consent. The Sexting Diversion Program provides the youth with opportunity to address the charge through the Diversion Program and participate in four (4) group therapeutic sessions facilitated by Allwell Behavioral Health Services. In addition, the youths and parent attend an online educational class.

For more information about Diversion, please contact Julie Russell at 740-453-0351.