
DATE: Friday, May 9, 1997                   TAG: 9705080055

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E13  EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: Teenspeak 

SOURCE: BY LORRAINE EATON, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   68 lines

MANY TEENS FAVOR GETTING TOUGH WITH FIRST-TIME JUVENILE OFFENDERS

JUVENILE OFFENDERS in two Hampton Roads cities are getting a once-in-a-lifetime break.

Youths in Chesapeake and Suffolk who commit minor offenses can appear before a ``juvenile conference committee'' of volunteers instead of a judge. If they meet the terms of punishment, the charges are dropped and their record is clean.

If they get in trouble again, they go straight to the judge.

It's a program that has a proven track record of discouraging youths from getting in trouble a second time. About 80 percent of kids who appear before the committees never get in trouble again, according to Tidewater Regional Group Home Commission, the program's sponsor.

But a group of five students at this week's Teenspeak at Open Campus High School in Virginia Beach believe that first-time offenders need stronger, not softer, punishment.

``I think that if you do something minor - whether it be shoplifting or egging someone's house, there's always going to be a consequence,'' said senior Aaron Smithers, 19. ``If the consequence is too light . . . they will go back and do it again because of the slack punishment.''

Teens appearing before the community board must admit to guilt, make a verbal and written apology to the victim, pay restitution and perform 35 hours of community service. They have three months to comply.

``Community service?'' said Etoy Antonnette Reid, 18, a senior. ``Community service isn't going to scare you.''

``Thirty-five hours of community service is what, two weekends?'' said junior Lonzell Houston III, 19.

Kids need court, they said. A stern robed judge behind his or her bench is an authority figure many teens wouldn't soon forget, they said.

``I think there is a certain fear when you go in front of a judge,'' Aaron said, ``but going in front of a bunch of volunteers that live in your community is kind of like . . .

``A pat on the wrist,'' Lonzell said.

``If I did something bad - I never have, but if I ever did - if I went in front of a panel of people who lived in my neighborhood, I'd laugh at them,'' Aaron added.

And the group questioned the 80 percent success rate.

``Yea, that's 80 percent that haven't gotten caught'' again, Aaron said.

``Maybe they just get smart the second time,'' said senior Kelly Foreman, 19.

``There are a lot of people getting away with things over and over and over,'' added senior Dawn Addison, 18. ``I've seen it with my own two eyes.''

Probation would be a better program for first-timers, they agreed.

``Obviously, what we have now isn't working,'' Aaron said. ``We need to be tougher.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos

They should use the money that they are using for funding this to

find a better way. Kelly Foreman, 19, senior

I think that it is a slack way of getting out of something you did

instead of facing the consequences. Crack down the first time. Aaron

Smithers, 19, senior

Let the courts handle it, but be a little bit harsher the first