The Global Youth Justice Movement Youth Court, Teen Court, Peer Court, Student Court, and Youth Peer Panel

1
The Global Youth Justice MovementYouth
Court, Teen Court, Peer Court, Student Court,
and Youth Peer Panel
A Local, State, National and International
Perspective
2
What is a Youth Justice Program?

A rapidly expanding local juvenile justice
diversion program in which youth are sentenced by
their peers in collaboration with adults. Youth
Justice Programs are often called Teen
Court, Peer Court, Student Court, Youth Court and
Youth Peer Panel
3
Common Youth Volunteer Roles in Youth Justice
Hearings

• Defense Attorney
• Prosecuting Attorney
• Clerk
• Bailiff
• Jury Foreperson
• Jurors
• Youth judge
• Volunteer roles vary according to the program
  model the youth justice program utilizes.

4
What Makes Youth Justice Programs Appealing?

• Serve as an education, prevention and early
  juvenile intervention program.
• Offers a way to hold juvenile offenders
  accountable.
• Provides a means for educating youth on the legal
  and judicial system.
• Provide a meaningful forum for youth to build
  competencies and practice and enhance skills.

5
(Appealing Continued)

• Offers an avenue for youth to provide service for
  and build ties to their own local communities.
• Among the least expensive juvenile justice
  intervention programs given the strong volunteer
  support from youth and adults.
• Research and Data collection is yielding
  outstanding results.

6
(Appealing Continued)

• These programs have cross cutting appeal across
  many agencies and organizations.
• Youth are volunteering in large numbers across
  America for these programs adults are taking the
  lead to increasingly establish and enhance them.
• These programs are NOT one time (episodic)
  service programs. Service is often continual and
  even over years.

7
Location of Youth Justice Programs in the USA
1994 78 Youth Courts in 9 states in USA
2010 About 1,155 Programs in 48 states, DC and
on Tribes. CT/RI None.
8
Global Youth Justice Locations (Non-USA)

• Japan
• United Kingdom
• South Korea
• Australia

9
Common Elements of Youth Justice Programs

• Juvenile Justice Diversion programs (formal and
  informal arrests).
• Primary first-time low-level juvenile crimes,
  offenses and violations.
• Often the 1st or 2nd step in a system of
  graduated sanctions.
• Misdemeanor, non-violent cases.

10
Common Elements (cont.)

• Most Youth Justice Programs Require youth to
  admit to charge (sentencing hearings and not
  trials).
• Most are Voluntary participation.
• Parental/Guardian Consent and Participation is
  Mandatory in most local Youth Justice programs.

11
Most Common Types of Crimes, Offenses and
Violations.
Traffic
School
42
Disciplinary
48
Curfew
56
62
67
71
75
81
87
95
12
Common Sentencing Options

• More meaningful Community Service that are
  project oriented.
• Oral/Written Apologies to Victims.
• Essays on the crime, offense or violation (s)
  they were referred to a Youth Justice Program
  for.
• Jury Duty in a Youth Justice Program.
• Educational Workshops on laws and consequences.

13
Additional Sentencing Options

• Restitution.
• Curfew.
• Tutoring.
• Victim Awareness Class or Panel.
• Drug Testing and Mediation.

14
Adult Judge Model

• Youth volunteers serve in the roles of
• Defense Attorneys
• Prosecuting Attorneys
• Clerks
• Bailiffs
• Jurors
• Adult volunteer serves in the role of
• Judge

15
Youth Judge Model

• Youth volunteers serve in the role of
• Judge
• Prosecuting Attorneys
• Defense Attorneys
• Clerks
• Bailiffs
• Jurors

16
Youth Tribunal Model

• Youth volunteers serve in the roles of
• Judge(s)
• Defense Attorneys
• Prosecuting Attorneys
• Clerks
• Bailiffs
• There is NO PEER JURY

17
Peer Jury Model

• Youth volunteers serve as jurors and question the
  defendant directly
• Some programs use youth and community advocates

18
Agencies and Organizations Operating Youth
Justice Program Operations

• 42 are Juvenile Justice-Based
• (Law Enforcement, Juvenile Courts, Juvenile
  Probation)
• 22 are Community-Based
• 36 are School-Based
• Almost all of them are a joint partnerships of
  all of the organizations listed above.

19
Guilty vs Not Guilty

• 93 of local Youth Justice programs require youth
  to admit guilt/culpability to an offense, crime
  or violation. These are sentencing hearings.
• 7 of local Youth Justice programs allow you to
  plead not guilty. These are trials.

20
Youth Justice Program Models

• 41 Use the Adult Judge Model
• 18 Use the Youth Judge Model
• 31 Use the Peer Jury Model
• 10 Use the Tribunal Model
• 17 of All programs use 1 or more models at some
  time during a year.

21
Facts and Stats

• 53 of Youth Justice Programs require youth
  offenders to participate in Jury Duty one or more
  times.
• 55 of Youth Justice programs operate private
  hearings and trials.
• 70 of Youth Justice programs operate program
  year round and 30 are only during the school
  year.

22
Contact Global Youth Justice

• Training, Technical Assistance and more.
• Scott Bernard Peterson
• Chief Executive Officer
• Global Youth Justice, LLC
• Mobile  [phone]
• www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
• Scott.Peterson_at_GlobalYouthJustice.org