Youth Court Programs A National Overview

Youth Court Youth Courts are also known as Teen Court Peer Court Student Court

What is Youth Court? A program in which youth are sentenced by their peers Respondents/defendants years old Youth Volunteers years old

Youth Court Provides the Community An early intervention and prevention program An option on the continuum of juvenile services A way to hold juvenile offenders accountable A means for educating youth on the legal and judicial system/Builds competencies A meaningful forum for youth to practice and enhance skills An avenue for building ties between youth and their community

Most Youth Courts… Function as diversion programs Accept first-time offenders Accept misdemeanor, non-violent cases Require youth to admit to the charge and voluntarily participate in the program Require parental consent for the youth to participate

States with Youth Court Programs As of March, youth courts in the United States 49 States and DC

Who Administers Youth Court Non-Profit (28%) Juvenile/Municipal Court (16%) Law Enforcement (15%) City/County Government (13) Probation (13% Schools (5%) Other (10%)

Types of Offenses Possession of Marijuana Tobacco Assault Alcohol Disorderly Conduct Vandalism Theft

Types of Offenses Traffic School Disciplinary Curfew

Common Sentencing Options Community Service Oral/Written Apologies Essays Restitution Jury Duty Educational Workshops

Additional Sentencing Options Alcohol/Drug Assessment Curfew Tutoring Victim Awareness Class or Panel Peer Mediation

Primary Youth Court Program Models Adult Judge Model Youth Judge Model Youth Tribunal Model Peer Jury Model

Adult Judge Model Youth volunteers serve in the roles of: –Defense Attorneys –Prosecuting Attorneys –Clerks –Bailiffs –Jurors Adult volunteers serve in the roles of: –Judge

Youth Judge Model Youth Volunteers serve in the role of: Judge Prosecuting Attorneys Defense Attorneys Clerks Bailiffs Jurors

Youth Tribunal Model Youth volunteers serve in the roles of: Judge(s) – usually a panel of three judges Defense Attorneys Prosecuting Attorneys Clerks Bailiffs There is NO PEER JURY – youth judges determine the sentence

Peer Jury Model Adult or youth volunteer serves in the role of judge or monitor Youth volunteers serves as jurors and question the defendant directly Some programs use youth advocates to provide support for the defendant

Contact the Federal Youth Court Program Information Training Technical Assistance Resources National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges P.O. Box 8970 Reno, NV Phone: (775) Fax: (775) Web:

For More Information on the local youth court program, please contact: