Youth offenders involved in the adult legal system will gather on April 24 at the South Court Tower in Phoenix for the inaugural Juvenile Transfer Offender Program Resource Fair (JTOP).
The event, which runs from 10:00 a.m. to noon, will connect JTOP participants to community resources to help them complete probation and succeed in their transition to a successful life outside of the justice system. JTOP is a therapeutic treatment court, that aims to reduce recidivism and provide an alternative for sending young offenders to prison. The participants are between the ages of 16 and 25.
“Many of the JTOP participants struggle with lack of support, food scarcity, housing instability, completing school and finding work,” Superior Court Judge Max Covil said. “The resource fair will connect them to many different resources all at one location.”
The participants are juveniles who have been found guilty on adult charges. The resource fair will provide them an opportunity to connect with community organizations offering information about career training, housing, education, sobriety, mental health treatment, financial responsibility and other services.
To be eligible for JTOP, participants must be screened, complete the JTOP orientation and enter a behavioral contract with the Court that includes probation supervision, treatment, drug screening and other services.
Judge Covil and Judge Todd Lang, who are spearheading the resource fair, have been overseeing JTOP cases since 2025.
“We provide support and encouragement to defendants who often have very little family support or positive role-models and influences. Seeing a defendant progress from using illegal substances to sobriety and addressing critical mental health needs could not be more rewarding,” Judge Lang said.
The program consists of two judges, defense attorneys, a clinical coordinator and adult probation officers. There are three phases to the program. If participants perform well and follow the rules of the court, they promote to the next phase. At promotional hearings, probationers are praised for their progress and awarded gift cards. If participants do not meet expectations, they receive consequences such as community restitution hours, writing assignments or jail time.
“This program allows us to be more hands on with the participants, address performance issues and reward them when they are successful,” Judge Covil said.
JTOP helps participants build the basic skills and confidence to handle adversity and conflict without resorting to violence or substances. Since 2020, a total of 153 participants have graduated from the JTOP program with only 23 of the graduates involved in new criminal cases.