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Policymakers Support Youth Court Growth, Voices and Recommendations from the Field

NCJ Number
211468
Author(s)
Sarah S. Pearson
Date Published
September 2004
Length
10 pages
Annotation
With State legislators looking for innovative approaches to combat juvenile delinquency, this article presents the voices from Federal, State, and local policymakers recommending the promising new program of youth court for both youth and communities.
Abstract
Alerted to the rise in the number of youth involved in juvenile crime, policymakers across the Nation are looking for new and innovative ways to deal with juvenile crime. Their recommendation is youth court. Youth court combines youth development with juvenile justice, involving young people in the community decisionmaking process for sanctioning their peers who have violated the rule of law or engaged in problem behavior. One of the most attractive qualities of the program is that youth courts rely greatly on adult and youth volunteer assistance, posing little burden to taxpayers. This paper presents the voices of Federal, State, and local administrators and policymakers on the creative and innovative way of dealing with teens who choose to engage in unlawful behavior through the use of youth court. Youth court is emerging as a promising program for youth and communities.