One by one, boys walked to the front of the courtroom May 5 to receive certificates marking the completion of Sangamon County’s new youth mentoring and diversion program. Mentors stood beside them for photographs while judges, prosecutors and community leaders applauded from the audience.
But before the ceremony began, Associate Judge Karen Tharp told the graduates that the adults seated around them – judges, probation officers and prosecutors – were not simply authority figures waiting to punish them.
“We’re not just here to punish,” Tharp said. “We’re here to ensure that you guys have access to resources and that you have access to the people and the things that you need to know so that you can be successful.”
The ceremony marked the first graduating class of a pilot mentoring program created through a partnership among the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office, juvenile court officials, probation services and The Outlet youth center in Springfield. The initiative targets children – many as young as 10 to 12 years old – who have begun getting into trouble but are still early enough in life to redirect.
In an interview with Illinois Times, Tharp said the program grew out of discussions among judges, prosecutors, probation officials and community organizations searching for alternatives to formal juvenile prosecution.
“What can we do to divert them from court?” Tharp said. “The earlier we can catch them, I think the better.”
The formal atmosphere of the ceremony softened as organizers introduced graduates by reading comments from their mentors, who described the boys as creative, caring, disciplined and increasingly self-aware.
One graduate said the program helped him “build leadership” and “take ownership” of mistakes while moving “in the right direction.” Another said the program helped him “get away from all the bad stuff.”
For many of the youths, mentors became trusted adults they could rely on when trouble surfaced at school or at home.
One participant said his favorite part of the program was “the mentors,” explaining that “they guide me through my ways when I get in trouble sometimes.” Another praised mentors because they “actually paid attention to all the mentees and actually helped them with all their problems and helped them get out of bad legal trouble.”
Mentors highlighted improvements in grades, emotional maturity, athletics and family relationships. Several graduates spoke about accountability, friendships and simply having supportive adults in their lives.
“Building friendships and making connections,” one graduate said when asked what he valued most about the program. Another described the best part as “always having somebody to call on when I needed help.”
There were lighter moments as well. When one graduate was asked his favorite part of the program, he answered simply, “The gym,” drawing laughter from the audience.
Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser said the program focuses primarily on younger juveniles accused of relatively minor, nonviolent offenses – children who are “making poor decisions” but still have time to change direction before entering deeper involvement with the justice system.
“It’s hard to be a kid,” Milhiser said in an interview. “Maybe you have some negative influences on you. Where are they going to go? We hope to help them make those good decisions.”
Program organizers say the initiative combines mentoring, anger management, emotional development and career guidance. Mentors also maintain contact with schools and families to intervene early when problems arise.
Michael Phelon, executive director of The Outlet, said the long-term goal is preventing children from entering a cycle of repeated incarceration later in life.
“If we could do preventative programs and prevent them from making those decisions and making those choices, I think that’s how you make your community better,” Phelon said. “That’s how you stop crime.”
As the ceremony concluded, organizers urged graduates and their families to view the event not as an ending, but as the beginning of an ongoing support system.
Scott Reeder, a staff writer with Illinois Times, can be reached at sreeder@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in May 14-20, 2026.
