Youth Courts: An Empirical Update and Analysis of Future Organizational and Research Needs

This paper is the third in a series of reports on the status of youth courts in the United States. It, like the two preceding reports, was funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) of the United States Department of Justice. Youth court is also called teen court, peer jury, student court, etc. It is intended to be an alternative to the traditional juvenile justice system and school disciplinary proceedings. It is designed to empower youth and communities to take an active role in addressing the early stages of youth delinquency. There are currently more than 1250 youth courts functioning within the United States. They are located in 49 states and in the District of Columbia. This report is an attempt to add to our knowledge of youth courts by looking at questions concerning their operation; the extent of volunteer activity; how they function as they mature; and the amount and types of resources they employ. This report is based on a national survey of youth courts that includes ten (10) questions focused on program outcomes and six (6) operational and administrative questions. From these questions, the OJJDP can provide policy makers and court practitioners with guidance on how to build and sustain an organizational structure that allows youth courts to successfully fulfill their mission of preventing young offenders from repeating antisocial behaviors, while relying on volunteers and even ex-offenders, to be part of the process.