Peer Court in Danville to celebrate 30 years on Friday

DANVILLE, Ill. (WAND) - Peer Court is a program that has helped first-time juvenile offenders in Vermilion County since 1993. On Friday, they will celebrate 30 years of service by hosting an auction.

In Peer Court, juveniles charged with misdemeanor crimes face a jury of their peers who sentence them for their crimes. Sentencing includes activities like writing essays, community service, or sitting on the jury for other cases.

“Upon completion of that the charges against them are dismissed, so they will not have a conviction on their record. It takes them 90 days of commitment to show up, make the decision to communicate with us and after that, they can move on,”  said Director, Katie Osterbur.

On Friday, Peer Court will auction off items donated by local organizations. Prizes range from gift baskets to weekend getaways.

“We are hosting our annual fundraiser and it is an auction. People from throughout Vermilion County and beyond donate goods, items, packages, experiences, to us. They’re all so unique. We have local artists who donate their handmade items, so local pottery and paintings from the Danville Art League,” said Osterbur.

The goal for Peer Court is to introduce youth to their community while helping them move forward.

“The youth are our future. We have to give them the confidence to do good. One of our goals in peer court is to connect them to our community so through the community service work we connect them with organizations and resources,” said Osterbur.

For more information, contact Katie Osterbur at 217-260-0023 or visit the Peer Court Auction event on Facebook.