Law Enforcement

Keeping kids out of the courts

By Sam Pfeifle

Recently, USM professors Donald Anspach and Andrew Ferguson scored $250,000 to help fix the drug courts [see “This Just In,” November 17, 2000]. Now, the Portland Police Department is looking to work some magic with the juvenile court system, and they’re starting with a few marbles.

Though it will only affect first-time, non-violent, juvenile offenders, the Jump-Start program is an attempt by the PDD to reach kids before they enter the court system at all, at which point they take on the burdens of parole officers and records. Particularly targeted would be middle-schoolers and young high-schoolers who might benefit from positive adult interaction. Sergeant Judy Ridge of the Community Affairs Department and Pam McNally, midtown community policing coordinator, will head up the effort.

Offenders, or “students,” referred to the program would have to complete an eight-week course with an assigned mentor from the community, dealing with issues such as decision-making, accountability, and conflict-resolution in two-hour classes. After the eight weeks, and completion of eight hours of community service, the student is free to go about his/her business; break any of the rules and it’s off to court.

But then there’s that marble. At the beginning of their eight weeks, the student pulls a marble from a jar, and then must keep it handy at all times. If found without it, the student incurs four more community service hours. And, with police officers in the schools very much aware of who should have a marble, chances are high students will be asked to produce.

“It’s much like the chip in Alcoholics Anonymous,” says Ridge. “You carry that and it reminds you. You’re conscious of the program all the time.” Plus, she says, “it inconveniences them, they have to think about it.” At the end of the course, students ceremoniously return the marble to a “graduation” jar.

It’s a concept started in Kennebunk by now-retiring Chief of Police Doug Sharlow in 1995, and taken up in burgs such as South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, and Freeport. However, Portland is making their second go ’round at Jump-Start, after three sessions ended roughly a year ago with burnt-out mentors. It didn’t help that they were forced to rely on police officers and ex-officers almost exclusively. Ridge was surprised and a little disheartened that they “couldn’t get the community to take part in it.”

Currently, Ridge and McNally are in search of 10 to 15 community mentors who would participate in staggered eight-week stints, always taking eight weeks off in between sessions, therefore avoiding fatigue and over-commitment. Though they’re very choosy about who qualifies for mentorship.

The candidates should be “obviously people of good background,” says Ridge, “and high morals; not there for their own issues.” They are forced to run background checks as well, to avoid liability, and ask that mentors refrain from establishing a relationship with students outside the program.

“There could be a pedophile that we don’t know about,” cautions Ridge, “and it’s a protected area when they’re here.” The mentor calls them to remind them of the meeting, she says, but they don’t take them for ice cream, and they don’t take them on trips. “It’s very short term, but it’s very, very important,” Ridge stresses.