Meeting Recap July 11

Posted by Carl Yudell
President Marie Kuipers chaired the meeting.
 
We had one guest today, Emma Kunin from Winnetka Youth Organization.
Happy birthday greetings were due Kristen Jasinski on July 10; Anna Cohen on July 12 and Mary Lou Bilder-Gold on July 14.
Congratulations on Club anniversaries were due ArLynn Presser (20 years); Greg Kurr (3 years); and Trisha Kocanda (3 years).
 
Announcements:
  • Emma Kunin reminded us of the Winnetka Youth Organization’s Summer Day Retreat on Saturday, July 27.  Hosted at YMCA Camp Duncan, it is an opportunity to explore the outdoors, experience challenge courses and build social and leadership skills.More information is available at info@winnetkayo.org.
  • Rodger Morris reminded us that the $2.00 we give each week is an important fund raiser for the Club’s Foundation.  It is what Rotary is all about.  Rodger made a gift of $100 in recognition of the importance of those gifts to the foundation.Tony Kambich stood up and matched Roger’s gift of $100.
  • President Kuipers spoke on behalf of Lift Up Women.  Lift up women and you lift all of humanity.
 
Happy Bucks:  Robert Mardirossian gave $19.00 in recognition of 19 years of perfect attendance.
Barb Tubekis gave $10.00 in recognition of the US Women’s World Cup Soccer win and her 10 month old granddaughter.
Brooke Peppey gave happy bucks in recognition of the Open House on July 13 in Union Grove Wisconsin for the Rescue Horses of Namaste Equine Rescue and Journey Home Equine Rescue.
 
Dig and Grin:  Dapper Sam Badger entertained us with a number of jokes.
 
John Thomas, New Trier Township Trustee, introduced today’s speaker, Brian Leverenz, the township’s Community Service Administrator.  The township gives away each year nearly $2,000,000 in grants to local non-profit organizations and covers over 100 families in need with the food pantry.  The township is also responsible for Peer Jury, today’s subject.
 
Peer Jury is an alternative to the Cook County Juvenile Justice system.  Young adults make many bad decisions.  Sometimes those bad decisions intersect with the police and our Juvenile Justice system.  Many times the police merely take their names and inform the parents.  In more serious situations, those bad decisions result in an arrest.  At that point, a decision must be made.  Are the juveniles to be sent to Peer Jury or to the Cook County Juvenile System. 
 
The juveniles are mostly high school students who live in New Trier Township or go to one of the New Trier Township high schools.  They are mostly good kids that have made some stupid mistakes.  They are generally first time offenders and some second time offenders.  They are 82% males.  The crimes are about 1/3 property destruction; 1/3 drug and alcohol; and 1/3 other.
 
Peer Jury meets on the 1st Wednesday of each month.  In order to be part of the Peer Jury program, the offender must plead guilty and agree to abide by the decision of the Peer Jury.  The Peer Jury itself is comprised of high school students.
 
At the beginning of each meeting, prior offenders report on their status with their parents and the status of their community service obligation.  The average community service assigned is between 25 and 100 hours.  The prior offenders will continue to return each month until the community service is completed. 
 
For new offenders, the process is as follows:
 
  • A policeman gives a report on the incident;
  • The Offender states his involvement;
  • The Peer Jurors then ask about 20 minutes of tough questions;
  • A victim impact statement is then read;
  • The policeman then adds any additional information that may not have been revealed by the Peer Jury questions;
  • The Peer Jurors then retire to discuss the case and decide an appropriate level of community service and any other conditions;
  • The offender then has an obligation (a) to prepare a written letter to his parents to be read in open court, (b) complete the assigned community service, and (c) possibly be required to write an essay.  If the offender fails on any of these tasks, he or she is referred to the regular Cook County Juvenile Justice system (a very rare occurrence).
 
The average case load for Peer Jury is 35 cases per year.