You might think charging a teen with felony assault and battery for throwing fruit at a bullying classmate would leave that kid angry and bitter—especially considering there were no repercussions for the bully. But not 16-year-old Umyay (not his real name), who found himself in that exact predicament and ultimately under the auspices of PESA and Teen Court.
The young man actually says his life is better for the experience. “Basically,” says Umyay, “my whole life changed because of PESA.” His mom concurs: “He’s a different child. He went from a 2.4 GPA to a 4.0.”
Because of his ADHD, Umyay had been attending a school for persons with learning challenges, and it was there that the incident occurred, during a P.E. class running session. He and the other boy had been verbally sparring for a while, but this time a particularly hateful epithet got the better of Umyay, and he hurled the orange, resulting in his expulsion and felony charge.
One of the terms of his diversion was to attend therapy sessions with PESA’s Lawrence Dunbar, MSW. “He helped me understand the importance of not getting caught up in bad situations, and making sure I got in with the right crowd,” says Umyay. “Mr. Dunbar gave me some great advice that helped me reflect on my life and made me think about my decisions. If it wasn’t for him, I would probably still be holding on to things I should have let go of.”
And that is the hallmark of a transformative justice program like Teen Court: Helping a minor to understand the significance of their actions, grasp that it caused harm to another, offer some form of apology to the victim, giving back to the community, and avoid repeating such actions down the road.
If that sounds like a lot of effort, it is. But compare it to the societal cost of a youthful offender not getting such an opportunity and, most likely, finding themselves ensnared in a traditional juvenile justice system that is very hard to escape—and often leads to more serious crimes and incarceration.
Umyay is musically inclined, so another term of his diversion was to work with mentor and music producer Steve Hernandez, a former gang member. “Steve inspired me,” says Umyay. “He gave me, like, special super powers. He helped me improve my songs, and he gave me tips that I use right now to make my beats.” The experience solidified Umyay’s desire to attend a college with an emphasis on music production.
Umyay is quick to sing the praises of PESA. “Instead of this being a tragedy, it ended up being a really good outcome,” he says. “My attitude is much better, I don’t get angry, I’m a lot calmer, I’ve gotten better with my speech, I don’t stutter as much, my friend group has changed... Every kid who gets into a situation like me should get this experience with PESA. Everyone deserves a second chance.” ■