Why Peer Jury?

Goals in Peer Jury

Peer Jurors at ETHS want to keep students • Help the referred student to recognize the
in school by using the power of positive peer
influence and understanding to encourage
referred students who have violated school
rules to repair the harm done and prevent
results of their actions and repair the harm.
• Find out why they did it, who they harmed,
and explore alternatives to their decision.
• Try to identify positive strengths of the
ETHS
future harm or violations.

• Youth can relate well to other youth.

referred students.
• Come to a specific, attainable, and
measurable agreement to repair the harm.
Peer Jury
• Youth can influence each other in • Keep peers in school and restore justice.
positive ways.
• Youth can develop fair and balanced
agreements in place of a suspension.
• Peers might have had similar situations
happen to them.
• Youth want to help peers to get a second
chance and learn from their mistakes.
• Jurors can refer students to resources in
the school and in the community.

The Kit Voice

“The Loudest Voice”
ETHS
Peer Jury
Evanston Township High School
1600 Dodge Ave.
Youth helping to keep their peers
Evanston, Illinois 60201 in school and develop fair,
Phone: 847-424-7203 balanced, and restorative
Email: cortesic@eths.k12.il.us approaches for youth offenses.
What is Restorative Choosing Peer Jury Agreement
Justice? • The referred student is given a referral • The referred student and the jury will
and sent to his or her Dean. discuss how he or she can make better
A social justice movement which seeks to
• The Dean may offer the referred student choices.
engage those who are harmed, those who
either a typical consequence or Peer Jury. • The referred student and the jury will
cause the harm, and their affected communities
• Peer Jury is always a choice. It is never develop a solution to repair the damage
in search of solutions that promote repair,
forced on the referred student. caused by the student’s actions.
reconciliation, and the rebuilding of relation-
• If the referred student agrees to go to • The referred student will be asked to take
ships. Restorative Justice seeks to build
Peer Jury, he or she will receive a pass in accountability for his or her actions.
partnerships to re-establish mutual responsibility
one of their classes indicating to them when • The referred student must show proof of
for constructive responses to wrongdoing within
to attend. agreement completion.
our community. It utilizes a balanced approach
• The referred student will go to E332 at the • The jury will go over the agreement with
that considers the needs of the victim, offender,
very beginning of the period assigned. the referred student to be sure everyone
and community in a process that preserves the
• If jury is during the student’s lunch, they approves.
safety and dignity of all. Peer Jury is one form
may eat during jury. • The referred student is then able to
of Restorative Justice in action at ETHS.
identify a juror to follow up with him or
her on an agreed upon date, time, and
Purpose of Peer Jury In Peer Jury location to ensure he or she has completed
• The room is set up with chairs in a circle, the agreement.
To provide a positive outlet in which
with one chair outside of the circle for
students can resolve school related conflicts
the adult advisor.
with the assistance of their peers and avoid
• The adult advisor is there to observe, but
Commitment of Jurors
a possible suspension. Together, students
the students will do the talking. • Jurors will inform facilitators of a free
negotiate an equally acceptable resolution
• Everyone will introduce themselves. period or lunch in which he or she is
to their conflict through the creation of
• The jurors will explain Peer Jury. available for jury each week.
an agreement which seeks to transform
• The jurors are NOT allowed to talk about • Each jury will meet approximately one to
the negative behavior into a positive goal.
what is said in circle with anyone unless two times per week during this period.
Through this program, the referred student
there is a risk of harm. • Students will take turns being the
will hopefully develop self-esteem, confidence,
• In the circle, everyone has an equal voice follow-up juror and will ensure the
and skills necessary for a positive and productive
and must respect each other. referred student has completed his or
adult life.
• The jurors will talk to the referred student her agreement.
about what led him or her to get a referral • Students will be notified when they have
and how to make amends to all who were a jury at the beginning of the week by
harmed. email and/or text message.
• The student and the jurors will come up • Peer Jury meets as a group once a month
with an agreement together. at 8:00 a.m.