Youth courts (also called teen, peer, and student courts) are programs in which youth sentence their peers for minor delinquent and status offenses and other problem behaviors.
History of Youth Courts
According to the National Youth Court Database, in 1994 there were only 78 youth court programs in operation; as of October, 2006, there were over 1127 youth court programs in operation in 49 states and the District of Columbia.
Conflicting accounts in the literature create challenges to tracing the exact beginnings of youth court programs. One of the earliest known programs still in operation is the Naperville Youth Jury in Naperville, Illinois. Naperville's program started in June of 1972. There are also anecdotal reports of a youth court that began operating in Horseheads, NY in 1968.
Youth Court Program Operations
Agencies operating and administering youth court programs include juvenile courts, juvenile probation departments, law enforcement, private nonprofit organizations, and schools.
According to the National Youth Court Database (October 2006):
Approximately 42% of youth court programs in operation are juvenile justice system-based programs.
Approximately 22% of youth court programs are community-based and are incorporated as, or operated by, private nonprofit organizations.
Approximately 36% of youth court programs are school-based.
Youth Court Functions
The primary function of most youth court programs is to determine a fair and restorative sentence or disposition for the youth respondent.
According to the National Youth Court Database (October 2006):
93% of youth court programs in the U.S. require youth to admit guilt prior to participating in youth court.
In the 7% of youth court programs that allow youth to plead “not guilty”, if a youth chooses to plead “not guilty”, the program conducts a hearing to determine guilt or innocence. If the defendant is found "guilty," then an appropriate disposition is rendered by the youth court.
When defendants successfully complete a youth court program, 63% of youth courts dismiss the charges. 27% immediately expunge the defendant’s record.
Youth Court Program Models
The four primary youth court program models are the Adult Judge, Youth Judge, Peer Jury, and Youth Tribunal Models.
According to the National Youth Court Database (October 2006):
The Adult Judge Model is used by approximately 53% of youth courts.
The Youth Judge Model is used by approximately 18% of youth courts.
The Peer Jury Model is used by approximately 31% of youth courts.
The Youth Tribunal Model is used by approximately 10% of youth courts.
Typical Offenses Youth Courts will Accept
Source: National Youth Court Database (October 2006)
Type of Offense
Percentage of Youth Courts that Accept this Type of Offense
Theft
91%
Vandalism
76%
Alcohol
73%
Disorderly Conduct
73%
Assault
67%
Possession of Marijuana
60%
Tobacco
59%
Curfew Violations
50%
School Disciplinary
45%
Traffic Violation
39%
Truancy
39%
Trespassing
38%
Criminal Mischief
30%
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
24%
Other drug offenses
20%
Harassment
21%
Fraud
8%
Typical Sentencing Options Youth Courts Utilize
Source: National Youth Court Database (October 2006)
Sentencing Option
Percentage of Youth Courts that Use this Sentencing Option
Community Service
99%
Oral/written apologies
94%
Essays
92%
Educational Workshops
73%
Jury Duty
73%
Restitution
61%
Alcohol/Drug Assessment
57%
Curfew
46%
Tutoring
37%
Counseling
37%
Drug Testing
31%
Victim Awareness Classes
29%
Victim/Offender Mediation
28%
Peer Mediation
23%
Jail Tour
22%
Observe Teen Court
14%
Mentoring
13%
Suspend Driver's License
9%
Program Effectiveness
According to the Urban Institute’s Evaluation of Teen Courts Project, which was based on four teen court programs studied in four different states (Alaska, Maryland, Arizona, and Missouri), the six-month recidivism figures among the programs ranged from 6% to 9%.
For more information on the Urban Institute's Study and it's findings, click Here.
Miscellaneous Facts and Stats
According to the National Youth Court Database (October 2006):
53% of youth court programs require respondents to participate in jury duty at least once as part of their sentence.
The average amount of training that most youth court volunteers receive is 10 hours.
55% of youth courts close their hearings to the general public.
30% of youth courts hold hearings at least once a month.
70% of youth courts hold hearings all year long vs. 28% of programs that operate during the school year only.
The average reported annual budget for a youth court program is approximately $32,767.
State Youth Court Associations and Networking Groups
As of April 2006 there were fourteen states that had state youth court associations and four states that had statewide networking groups. To see a listing of state youth court associations and networking groups click here.
