Youth Cases for Youth Courts: A Guide to the Typical Offenses Handled by Youth Courts

Published by the ABA with funding from OJJDP and others, this desktop guide provides community leaders with helpful information that equips them to address questions critical to the effective implementation of youth courts. 80 page pdf file.

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An Update on Teen Court Legislation

Published with support from OJJDP, the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, and NHTSA, this 12 page bulletin offers an overview of youth court legislation in the United States.

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Giving Back: Introducing Community Service Learning

This recently updated and revised manual introduces juvenile offenders to community serving learning. The manual is a useful resource for youth courts and other juvenile justice agencies seeking to apply school-based learning methods to court-mandated community service. The manual is downloadable.100+ pages in length.

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Trial by Peers Program - A Teen Court Variation

In Clark County (Las Vegas), Nevada this program, a partnership of the judiciary, the juvenile justice system and the Clark County Bar Association, has been in operation for over ten years The program will soon  be an alternative to the phenomenon of the criminalization of school discipline in which mischief at school ends up in court. Schools will be able to send first-time minors offenders ages 12 to 17 directly to the Trial by Peers program, keeping them out of the criminal system altogether. 

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A Jury of Their Peers

TIME Magazine reports on the youth court movement in the country. In 1994 there were 78 youth courts in the country. Today the number is 1,035 and growing. These junior courts will hold more than 100,000 trials this year. A study by the Urban Institute found that youth courts are often more effective in preventing repeat crimes than are other methods used to discipline first-time minor offenders.

Youth Court: A Community Solution for Embracing At-Risk Youth

 The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) conducted a nationwide review of youth court programs between November 2004 and January 2005. 365 youth court coordinators from across the US participated in the study. Study findings include these:

• On average, 9% of juvenile arrests in a jurisdiction are being diverted from the formal juvenile justice system to youth courts.
• In addition to the estimated 110,000 to 125,000 youth offenders served in youth court programs, another 100,000 youth per year are benefiting from their participation in the program as volunteers.

Youth court benefits include:

• For the juvenile justice system - reducing court backlogs without increasing recidivism.
• For youth offenders -  an outlet to confront the consequences of their actions and protection from contact with “hard core” offenders as well as avoidance of a juvenile court record.
• For youth offenders and volunteers - opportunities to learn about responsible citizenship and law, and to develop skills in public speaking, mediation, and pro-social leadership through hands-on experience.

Downloadable. About 40 pages.

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