“We all want the youth to be positive, productive members of our community. The CAB is a way to let the youth know that everyone makes mistakes when they are young and deserve a second chance while being held accountable for their actions.”
Angel Cortez, former CAB member volunteer
The Juvenile Diversion Panel is known as the Community Accountability Board (CAB), and since its inception in July 2010, CAB has heard over 100 cases.
CAB meets monthly with tribal member youths under the age of 18 years old who are arrested for minor offenses and are eligible for participation in the program. The panel holds youths accountable for their actions, fosters a change in attitude and impresses upon them the community’s concern about their conduct. The CAB objective is to increase youths’ awareness of their behavior and to help maximize their opportunities.
Current CAB member volunteers include Lorna Ede-Onsel, Hilary Sotomish, Jim Kerney, Denise Hatch-Anderson, Rebecca Hungerford, Tosha Edwards, Lynnette Edge, Lou Ann Carter, Maureen Alexander, and Judge Ron Whitener. The CAB meets once a month from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Tribal Court.