Topic: Ways to Track Program Information

Question: Recently, the National Youth Court Center announced that as of March 1, 2005, it will no longer be able to provide access to or technical support services for TEAM YC.  As a result, several persons have asked us to send an email to this group to find out what other youth courts are using to track and manage their program information and caseload.  We will compile responses and post them on the NYCC website.  We’ll send a link to the where you can find the information once it is compiled.  Thank you in advance for your assistance. 

Responses from Coordinators:

Lisa Albert-Konecky
Mat-Su Youth Court
Program Coordinator
City of Wasilla
290 E. Herning Ave
Wasilla, AK  99654
Phone: 907-373-9045     Fax: 907-373-9075
Email: msyc@ci.wasilla.ak.us

We keep all our stats on excel spreadsheets.  We have separate sheets for volunteer hours, and defendant statistics.  We based our stats on what the state was doing with their juvenile delinquency statistics.

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Neil Baker
Capital Area Teen Court
Teen Court Coordinator
ReEntry, Inc.
P.O. Box 724
Raleigh, NC  27602
Phone: 919-856-5671     Fax: 919-856-5673
Email: Neil.Baker@co.wake.nc.us 

Wake Co./ Capital Area, NC Teen Court uses a JCPC (Dept. of Juvenile Justice) provided Client Tracking Program.  We also record our statistics on a more comprehensive Access Database specifically for our program.  I hope that helps.

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Courtney Barden
Johnson County Youth Court
Youth Court Supervisor
Johnson County Court Services
1255 East 119th Street
Olathe, KS  66061
Phone: 913-324-6932     
Email: courtney.barden@jocogov.org

We are fortunate to be located in a probation office and so are able to use the same computer system to track our respondents as is used to track probation cases.  We are also able to track our volunteers through this computer system.

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Cheryl Benford
Asheboro/Randolph Teen Court Program
Coordinator
Randolph County Government
1520 North Fayetteville Street
Asheboro, NC  27203
Phone: 336-683-8227     Fax: 336-683-8217
Email: clbenford@co.randolph.nc.us  

In North Carolina the Teen Courts are required to compile their data information on what we call CTF or Client Tracking Data.  If the Teen Court receives grant money from the Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils then we have to complete these reports each month.  AT this time most of the Teen Courts receive this grant funded money so the stats are pretty accurate. 

We are also required to compile Annual Year and Fiscal Year Reports that are sent to an individual in Raleigh, NC to be compiled in a booklet.   

Michael Botke
Lansing Teen Court
Director
217 South Capitol Avenue - 230
Lansing, MI  48933
Phone: 517-371-2823     Fax: 517-371-2836
Email: teencourtlansing@cooley.edu

Thank you for prompting this question.

We have stumbled along using TEAMYC because the program had some good features.  We continue to use it.  I will anxiously await the responses.  It would be beneficial to find something that could be useful for most Youth Court Programs and then where appropriate be compiled to better support the need for more Youth Courts and send a message to local stakeholders for the growth and continuation of existing Youth Courts.

More and more funders are demanding data to indicate that Youth Courts are actually doing good and having a positive impact upon Juvenile Justice issues. 

We are focused upon this issue and recognize the fundamental need to demonstrate that our Peer Jury Model is having a tremendous impact upon respondents, families, victims, our community and juvenile crime.

Peggy Calliham
College Station Teen Court
Coordinator
City of College Station
PO Box 9960
College Station, TX  77840
Phone: 979-764-3499     Fax: 979-764-3894
Email: pcalliham@cstx.gov

We use Microsoft Access as our database and create our own programs to track defendant status.   Not as complex or as comprehensive as TEAM YC but works for us.

Stella Drenik
Crawford County Teen Court
Program Coordinator
Restorative Justice Authority
665 S. 69 Hwy
Pittsburg, KS  66762
Phone: 620-235-7118  Ext: 108  Fax: 620-235-7107
Email: sdrenik@rjauthority.org

I'm glad this question has been brought up, because after receiving your letter, I recently spoke with a Judith Ackaret who has developed another Teen Court database.  However, it's not free like TEAM YC.  After speaking with her she said that she would be contacting you regarding the status of TEAM YC.  She does have a website:  www.jattrax.com  where others can get information.  I would also like to know what others are using, so that we can look into another one.  For those who have been using TEAM YC, it's not compatible with the JAT TRAX database and information can't be switched from one to the other.

Jean Fieler
Executive Director
Suwannee County Teen Court
Suwannee County Clerk of the Circuit Court
200 South Ohio Avenue
Live Oak, FL  32064
Phone: 386-362-0557     Fax: 386-362-0548
Email: jeanfieler@hotmail.com

Suwannee County Teen Court uses Microsoft Works, creating a yearly database with a separate record for each referral and merging the information into forms created on the program.  We have used this software for about 9 years.

Karen Green
Placer County Peer Court
Peer Court Coordinator
671 Newcastle Road., Suite 7
Newcastle, CA  95658
Phone: 916-663-9227     Fax: 916-663-2965
Email: placerpeercourt@aol.com

Placer County Peer Court currently uses Microsoft's database software called Access. We originally used an old MS-DOS-based program written specifically to our needs, but with the switch to Access we have been able to make changes to our databases as needed (often we have new reporting requirements for grants). Access can filter and sort records as well, and it is easy to pull up cases based on certain search requirements. All Microsoft Word forms we use (Notice To Appear, Verdict Form, Tracking Form, etc.) have been linked to our database. Database information is plugged in directly to the document and ready for printing. Microsoft Access is great because it's stable and has built-in help tutorials for creating and maintaining databases. Let me know if you need more information.  

Sally Guiney
Elgin Police Department Peer Jury
Coordinator
Elgin Police Department
151 Douglas Avenue
Elgin, IL  60120
Phone: 847-289-2601     Fax: 847-289-2622
Email: guiney_s@cityofelgin.org

I do use Team YC for tracking and maintaining court information

Olivia Harrington
Duncanville Teen Court
Teen Court Coordinator
City of Duncanville
P.O. Box 380280
Duncanville, TX  75138-0280
Phone: 972-780-5063     Fax: 972-780-6463
Email: oharrington@ci.duncanville.tx.us

I use a data base in Access, it can be transferred to Excel for counting and graphs.  I also use Word documents to merge with the data base for all the forms I need.  It has worked well.

Lynn Langdon
Humboldt County Teen Court
Teen Court Coordinator
Boys and Girls Club
3015 J Street
Eureka, CA  95501
Phone: 707-444-0153     Fax: 707-444-0915
Email: humtcourt@cox.net

We currently use a database that is based on the Microsoft Access program.  It is called Member Tracking System and is put out by Vision Computer Programming Services, Inc.  It was an expensive investment at first (about $1,000), and we have had to make some adaptations to it to fit the Teen Court program.  It is the same system used in many schools to track attendance, grades and other important information.  The Vision Computer Programming Services offers a three-day training on how to use the program and provides wonderful follow up if needed.  It has worked for us thus far, but I feel as if the same thing could be accomplished by simply setting up a good Access database. 

Sharon Leon
Anchorage Youth Court
Executive Director
PO Box 102735
Anchorage, AK  99510
Phone: 907-274-5986     Fax: 907-272-0491
Email: ayc.sal@acsalaska.net

Anchorage Youth Court tracks all youth court student and adult volunteer activities and time through Filemaker pro.  Volunteers of America Alaska, to whom AYC outsources its sentencing completion component, collects, maintains and reports defendant data through Access. 

Melissa McCumby
Valdez Youth Court
Program Director
PO Box 3572
Valdez, AK  99686
Phone: 907-835-8885     Fax: 907-835-8886
Email: vyc@cvinternet.net

I have been using Teen Court 2K at JAT TRAX program. It’s ok, nothing too special. There are a lot of things I would change about the program but it seems to help.

Michael Newton
Noble County Teen Court
Director
100 East Main Street
Albion, IN  46755
Phone: 260-636-3365     Fax: 260-636-6861
Email: mnewton@dfnc.org

I use JAT Trax Teen Court Database and I am very pleased with it.  I E-mail many of their forms either as attachments or send them to Microsoft Word where I edit them to exactly what I want and then E-mail the form or report from there.  It saves me a fortune in postage and I keep my referring agencies up to date on all the respondents they send me.  When you use their "backup" system, it saves it as a Microsoft Access file which you can easily use to design your own custom reports.  From the back up copy, I use "Mail Merge" to make all my form letters that I use.  I only have to type the respondents name & info into the database once and I can then retrieve it to any document I use.  It's a great time saver and perfect for tracking your Performance Based process & outcome measures.

Laurie Peterson
Cattaraugus County Youth Court and Community Justice Program
Program Coordinator
Cattaraugus County Youth Bureau
132 Main Street, Suite 1
Salamanca, NY  14779
Phone: 716-945-5392  Ext: 6205  Fax: 716-945-1296
Email: LJPeterson@cattco.org

I still use TEAM YC on a daily basis!

Lisa Reed
Hedwig Village Teen Court
Program Coordinator
955 Piney Point Road
Houston, TX  77024
Phone: 713-465-6009     Fax: 713-465-6807
Email: hedwigteencourt@yahoo.com

I use excel.  Mostly because I am not very experienced at access.  I make one file for each year.  

Thanks and good luck

Michael Torrillo
Amherst Youth Court
Coordinator
Amherst Police Department
500 John James  Audobon Parkway
Amherst, NY  14228
Phone: 716-689-1344     Fax: 716-568-1182
Email: mtorrillo@adelphia.net

As President of the Association of New York State Youth Courts I am disappointed to hear that there will no longer be support for the TEAM -YC Program. Speaking from my court TEAM-YC has been a valuable tool for tracking cases, respondents quarterly reports and data collection. I have used this information on numerous occasions to document the activities of the court and apply for grants. The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services mandated reports utilizing TEAM-YC for justification of funding in some of their grant programs. I am sure there are a lot of courts in our association who are still using TEAM -YC and will continue to use it after the support is dropped.

Kristin Twenge
Yamhill County Peer Court
Coordinator
McMinnville Police Department
130 North Baker Street
McMinnville, OR  97128
Phone: 503-434-7436     Fax: 503-434-2335
Email: peercourt@ci.mcminnville.or.us

Yamhill County uses The Teen Court Database by JAT Trax. 

Michael Vincent
Youth Court of Jefferson County
Youth Court Director
The Resolution Center of Jefferson and Lewis Counties
200 Washington Street, Suite 207
Watertown, NY  13601
Phone: 315-785-0333     Fax: 315-785-0322
Email: youthcrt@imcnet.net

As I’ve recently learned of the impending demise of TEAM YC, I’ve decided to establish a similar DB utilizing Excel.  I remain hopeful the demise of the database doesn’t indicate the potential collapse of the working structures (Youth Courts) it supported.

Andrea Williams
Charlotte County Teen Court
Program Specialist
Court Administration
350 E. Marion Avenue
Punta Gorda, FL  33950
Phone: 941-637-2281     Fax: 941-637-2283
Email: AndreaW2@ca.cjis20.org

I use JAT Trax Studios

For information their address and website is:

JAT TRAX STUDIOS
P.O. BOX 230151
TIGARD, OREGON 97281
Email: dino@jattrax.com
503-430-0605
http://www.jattrax.com          

Hope this helps

Judy Wolfe
Syracuse City School District Student Court
Program Supervisor
Syracuse City School District
2400 Grant Blvd., Room 187
Syracuse, NY  13208
Phone: 315-435-6345     Fax: 315-435-4916
Email: jwolfe26@scsd.us

I use TEAM YC.