Eric Beckwith helps keep kids on right track with JET program

Eric Beckwith. photo by Jim Mitchell In December, 2003, the Juvenile Empowerment Training (JET) program lost its funding and leadership in Sisters. Eric Beckwith, Community Justice Officer for Deschutes County Juvenile Community Justice, has taken over supervision of the JET Program.

Beckwith says that it was a challenge to get the Teen Court up and running again between December and the end of the school year.

There was a long period of time when there was no teen court. Apparently the kids in the program went through no finalization process when the previous JET program director left.

Beckwith says, "So we started off fresh and made a solid attempt to have a teen court. The biggest challenge was to try to pick up where the system left off."

Beckwith received a large stack of files with the comment, "These are our diversion cases."

He now has about 15 teens under contract with infractions ranging from MIP --Minor In Possession of alcohol -- to criminal mischief. The contract is an agreement among the teen, his/her parents and the juvenile department stating that the teen will complete certain tasks, such as attending drug/alcohol class, community service, etc. Beckwith will be handling any new referrals from start to finish.

Beckwith and his supervisors are discussing ways in which the system can get the community more involved.

"When I came on in December, I made contact with every community partner that was listed," he said. "Every one of them said they would like to see more communication, more community involvement with these kids. I think it's pretty important that Sisters realizes that these are community issues and the community should have a hand in resolving those issues."

Beckwith and his department are looking at a "restorative justice conference" in which juvenile department personnel, various community members and the family would enter into a discussion with the violator.

Beckwith adds, "As of now we're still running it like the diversion program was run -- getting a referral, committing the offender to the contract, then monitoring the offender's progress."

He says, "My role is with the kids after they are issued a citation."

JET is sometimes used as a resource for pre-emption of problems.

"There are times where (Deputy) Tim Hernandez, the School Resource Officer, and school officials will decide to put a potential and highly likely future offender in the JET Program, hoping to head him/her off before they do become an offender," Beckwith said. "We set up an informal contract where the parents get involved and we try to prevent even that first referral."

Beckwith graduated from the University of Idaho in 2001 with a Sport Science degree with Business emphasis. Visiting his parents in Bend he realized, "This place is awesome. This has got to be where I live."

He took a job with Bend Parks & Recreation District, then became Athletic Director with the downtown Boys and Girls Club.

For a year before coming to Sisters, Beckwith was the Branch Director of the Boys and Girls Club, trying to reintegrate kids into the community, helping them transition, trying to get them connected.

Beckwith visits the schools at lunch time.

"Kids are so busy these days with after-school and work, the only time you can have a conversation with them is at lunch time at school. But you have to know where their classes are located. If you don't grab them right as they get out of class, you won't see them until they come back. So when you need to make contact with one of the kids in the program, it's probably your best bet."

He also feels that his visibility provides both a deterrent and an offer to help where needed.

Beckwith is in Sisters Monday through Wednesday, 10 hours a day (7 a.m. ­ 6 p.m.). He says the early and late hours are useful to meet with parents or others who have to work. He spends one day a week in the Boys and Girls Club.

He has children of his own, too. Beckwith's son, Chance, is seven and he has a daughter, Hope, born in early July.

His wife, Khiva, was a preschool teacher for about eight years -- until Hope's birth.

Beckwith added, "I'm excited about building better relationships with the community. I love my job. I love the people I work for and work with.

"I can't even think of a complaint about the Bend-Sisters area. It's awesome here. I can't imagine living anywhere else at this point."