Continuing with our leadership segment, “Getting to Know Your Talbot County Leader”… Jayne Fitzgerald, Coordinator for Talbot County Teen Court, talks about juvenile justice with Healthy Talbot! Check it out:
Pictured L-R are Jayne Fitzgerald, new Teen Court Coordinator and Executive Director of Talbot Partnership; Nick White, a past participant in Talbot County’s Teen Court Program; and Bob Coleman, previous Teen Court Coordinator for Talbot County. Picture Source: Talbot Spy
About Teen Court: Talbot County Teen Court is a real justice program run by teens for teens. It is a voluntary program that allows first time offenders, between the ages of 13 and 18, to be heard and tried by his or her peers rather than having to go through the Department of Juvenile Services.
# of Employees: There are no employees, I am the Talbot County Teen Court Coordinator and get a small stipend for my time, but the majority of the work is conducted by teen volunteers.
Length of time in position: Since April 2017
Schooling: I got my BA at University of Maryland, College Park
Pets: Two fantastic, wonderful Border Collie/Bernese Mountain dog rescues, that I’ve had since they were 5 weeks old!
Inspirations: Ghandi, Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres – to name a few!
Childhood Dream Job: A psychologist – working with adolescents and families.
Fun Fact About Yourself: I love to travel and have visited all fifty states and about 12 countries.
Bucket List Item: Take a hot air balloon ride
Fears: Not living my life to the fullest; not making enough of a difference for the world.
Favorite Hobby: Home Improvement/rehab and needlework
Favorite Movie: The Princess Bride
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you: I’d really like to go to India.
Pet Peeve: Hypocrisy
What was on your wish list this year? I just found out that my daughter will be having her first child in June – so my wish is that her pregnancy is without complications and that she and the baby are healthy! I love the gifts of memories, so this one will go down as one of the best memories!
What do you hope your agency accomplishes over the next 5 years? I hope that through Teen Court, the youth served and those that serve will learn the value of self responsibility and self care. I hope that we are able to keep as many youth out of the Juvenile Justice system as possible and that we make a difference in everyone’s lives that participate in Teen Court.
What do you love about Talbot County? I love the ruralness of Talbot County and yet the relatively close proximity to DC, Baltimore, New York, etc.
What is the one thing your agency needs the most to succeed in its mission? Always money and more youth interested in expanding their roles into attorneys and judges.
What do you think Talbot County needs most? More activities, events, and programs to help our youth engage with each other, with mentors, adults, and the community. Safer ways for them to take risks and develop their brains in a healthy way.
Following this interview, you step outside and find a lottery ticket that ends up winning $10 million. What would you do with the money? First, I would pay off any debt I have, then I would buy a property that I could establish as a rehab/rescue home for animals, and I would travel. I would buy a lakefront home that my family would make memories in and I would establish a trust for my kids and I would become a motivational speaker – my preferred audience being families and adolescents.
For more information on the Teen Court, please visit: http://healthytalbot.org/resources/talbot-county-teen-court/
Thank you Jayne for taking the time to interview with Healthy Talbot!
Related Story: http://talbotspy.org/talbot-county-teen-court-a-real-justice-program-run-by-teens/
Posted: February 11, 2018