Global Youth Justice
History of the Youth Justice Expansion
'Making the Time for Juvenile Crime'
1940’s
The youth justice idea is documented in Maine, but no program just yet. The date is August 8, 1944. The article appeared in the Evening Journal in Lewiston, Maine. Thank you to Maine Judge Paul Cote’ for helping Global Youth Justice to document this for us all around the world. Judge Paul Cote' from Maine is a judge and runs a youth court and it just so happens - it was his grandfather back in 1944 that was a Judge and is mentioned in this article. We are still checking to see if the program ever got started. We know from this article it was being planned and this documents the Youth Justice Movement back to 1944. (Read the Article)
1970’s
A local youth justice (youth
court/teen court) program starts in Illinois, Texas, New York
and likely Indiana based on the evidence of about 27 local youth justice staff in these four (4) states. See below for more specifics during this decade.
1980’s
Missouri and the American
Bar Association make key progress in the youth justice movement and about a dozen more
states establish local
youth justice programs. See below for more specifics during this decade.
1990's
The Global Youth Justice
Movement begins to have a presence in more local communities
and in more states. Texas establishes the first state level teen court
association in 1990. In 1997, the United States
Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) hired New York's Scott Peterson, who established the Colonie Youth Court in 1993, and a number of other Youth Courts. Scott's was charged with creating and leading the federal governments Nation Youth Justice Plan for ten (10) years. Scott remained in the Executive Branch of the United States Government for a decade (1997 to
2008) while championing the Youth Justice Movement in the United States of America to unprecedented heights. See below for more specifics during this decade.
2000's
The decade where these
youth justice programs emerge as the most replicated
juvenile justice diversion
program in America since the first juvenile
court in America was established in Cooke County,
Illinois in 1899. There is still room for thousands of more local youth justice program in the USA, but the local expansion has taken hold. See below for more specifics during this decade to include the beginning of the Global Youth Justice Expansion that began in this decade.
2010's
Scott Peterson's Global Youth Justice begins the effort to achieve the 2020 Global Youth
Justice Plan adopted on
1/1/2010. Three (3) continents now have
youth justice
programs and creativity is taking place in hundreds
of local programs. The Global Youth Justice
Movement is expected to make considerable progress in
this decade. In 2010, Global Youth Justice and their key partners have a dozen youth justice projects in various stages of development. Global Youth Justice is already up and going strong after only two (2) years. From hosting trainings and being awarded million dollar federal grants, Global Youth Justice has taken a lead role in the USA and is building an increasingly more visible presence around the globe with trainings and events planned in 2011/2012 in Canada, Las Vegas/USA, Kobe/Japan, Massachusetts/USA, and England/UK among others. See below for more specifics regarding the early year(s) of this decade.
Five (5) Decades
of the
Local to Global
Youth Justice Expansion
1970's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's & 2010's
It is difficult
to verify the date of the establishment of the first program. There is evidence that several of the
earliest known programs were operational in the 1970’s. These include the Grand Prairie Teen Court in
Texas that was established in 1976. The
Town of Horseheads Youth Court in New York was established in July 1976 and was
based on the model in use in Ithaca, New York.
In February 2001, the Illinois Youth Court
Association conducted a survey of all the youth courts in the state. Results revealed that the oldest reported
youth court in Illinois is the Naperville Peer Jury, which began in 1972. In addition to these early programs in New
York, Texas, and Illinois, there are reports of a program in the state of
Indiana that was also operational in the 1970’s.
It
is not so important where and when the first program was established. It is important these programs continue to
strive to provide high quality services to the youth and their families who are
involved in these programs. Reducing the
incidence and preventing the escalation of juvenile crime is paramount in these
programs and it appears that back in the 1970’s these early pioneering adults
and youth were on to something that would eventually impact millions of youth
who have been and are involved in these programs both voluntarily and
involuntarily across America and now in other parts of the world.
The 1980’s
By 1980, it is
likely there were about five (5) local teen courts and youth courts.
During the
1980’s, support for these programs began to grow and in a few states their
numbers began to increase. Also,
juvenile justice professionals, the legal community, and educators began to
actively promote these programs as a positive alternative to traditional
juvenile justice system. These news
efforts to establish these programs on a local level represented the earliest
stages of a truly remarkable grassroots movement that would come to pass in the
coming years and it also led to important advances in the early Global Youth
Justice Movement. Still, at this point,
there was no single central linking organization(s) helping to connect local
programs to one another, improve their quality, and help advance the movement.
Also in 1987,
the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association promoted youth
courts in a document entitled Teen Court: Preventing Recidivism of
Teenage Crime and Drug Abuse.
As 1989 came to a close, it appears there were likely about forty (40)
to fifty (50) local teen courts and youth courts in about a dozen states. Evidence exists to verify more than
twenty-seven (27) programs were operational in 1989. It is likely about two (2) more dozen
programs were operational at this time.
The 1990's
1990
Texas becomes
the first state to establish a formal Statewide Teen Court Association called the Teen Court Association of Texas, Inc.
The Teen Court
Association of Texas (TCAT) was created when the coordinators/directors of
eighteen (18) teen court programs from around the State of Texas met and voted
unanimously to establish a statewide organization for teen courts. Today
there are approximately seventy (70) teen courts in Texas, and TCAT membership
has expanded to include more than sixty (60) teen court programs. For more information about teen courts in the
State of Texas and/or the Teen Court Association of Texas, visit the web site
at www.texasteencourt.com.
1991
Groundbreaking
Article on Youth Courts Appears in Popular
Criminal
Justice Journal
This article
entitled “Teen Court – Is It an Effective Alternative to Traditional
Sanctions?” was published in the Journal for Juvenile Justice and
Detention Services and was one of the very first articles about youth
courts ever published in a professional journal. The article provides an analysis of an
evaluation of the teen court program in Arlington, Texas. The hypothesis tested in this evaluation was
that young offenders respond more positively when judged by their peers and are
required to serve the community constructively than when they are judged and
sentenced in the traditional fashion.
The results of the evaluation revealed that teen court was more
effective than the traditional processing of juveniles for 16-year-old white
boys. It was not as effective for
girls. These findings were significant
because 16-year-old white boys were the largest group of teen court
clients. Despite many qualifications,
the evaluation revealed that for its core clientele the teen court program in
Arlington was superior at deterring teens from further criminal activities. This article is available through the
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) at www.ncjrs.gov.
Search for NCJ Number 166154.
1992
Recognizing the
educational value of youth courts, the National Law-Related Education Resource
Center at the American Bar Association (ABA) began to promote youth court as a
law-related education (LRE) program in 1992.
The ABA also maintained an informal national youth court directory and provided
some networking resources to anyone interested in developing a youth court
program. This directory served as a much
needed resource in the youth services community. Scott Peterson would like to thank Paula Nessel
from the American Bar Association for her leadership in documenting what was
taking place in America with regards to Teen Court.
1992
Kentucky
Leads the Way in Establishing Teen Courts as a Law-Related Education Program
In 1992, Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Robert F. Stephens helped to establish teen courts in his state through the Administrative Office of the Courts’ law-related education program. The foundation for law-related education in the Commonwealth of Kentucky was laid when the Kentucky Court of Justice began its Law-Related Education Initiative in 1990. As a result, the Administrative Office of the Courts formed the Division of Law Related Education under the Department of Juvenile Services to provide training programs on the court system to educators, judges, attorneys, police officers, and juvenile justice professionals statewide.
Law-related
education (LRE) is designed to equip non-lawyers with knowledge and skills
pertaining to the law, the legal process, the legal system, and the fundamental
principles and values on which these are based.
Teen Courts and law-related education share many goals. Each teen court case teaches both the youth
volunteers and the youth respondents about the rules and/or laws that were
broken, the consequences of the offenses, and how due process is observed by
court procedure. In addition, the
volunteers and respondents learn about key LRE concepts of justice, power,
equality, property, and liberty. In
short, teen courts offer a uniquely experiential approach to LRE.
1993
North
Carolina Passes Youth Court Legislation
This
legislation in North Carolina established three (3) pilot youth court
programs. For more information about
state youth and teen court legislation see An Update on Teen Court
Legislation by Michelle E. Heward.
1993
Scott
Bernard Peterson established his first youth court in upstate, New York in the
Town of Colonie/Colonie Youth Court. In March of 1993, Scott Peterson would begin working on his first youth court. By December of 1993, he had incorporated Youth Courts of the Capital District, Inc. A number of local youth court programs would be established in the Capital District as a result of Scott's early efforts to include the Colonie Youth Court, Bethlehem Youth Court, East Greenbush Youth Court and others. Scott went on to lead and establish the Federal Youth Court Project at the United States Department of Justice (1997 to 2008) and then in 2009 he would establish Global Youth Justice, LLC and Www.GlobalYouthJustice.org to provide International and National Leadership in America and now increasing around the globe. Scott launched a 2020 Global Youth Justice Plan and now is working on this new decade of excitement and growth as the youth justice movement is taking hold around the globe. Mr. Peterson is the leading authority on these programs almost two (2) decades later at the age of 40.
1994
This survey was
funded by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and
was conducted by the Council of State Governments and the American Probation
and Parole Association was designed to assess the location of youth court
programs and to identify their operational models. The survey found that about seventy-eight
(78) programs were operating across the United States in 1994. The information gathered from this survey
served as the foundation for the seminal publication on youth courts entitled Peer Justice and Youth Empowerment: An
Implementation Guide for Teen Court Programs. A special thank you to Jim Wright from NHTSA
and Tracy Godwin-Mullins from the APPA.
1995
The Young
Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association Passes a Resolution in Support
of Youth Courts
The Young
Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association (ABA) was instrumental in
encouraging the ABA to support youth courts.
On August 9, 1995 the ABA House of Delegates adopted the following
resolution:
RESOLVED, That the ABA encourages state and
territorial legislatures, court systems, and bar associations to support and
assist in the formation and expansion of diversionary programs, known as Youth
Courts, where juvenile participants, under supervision of volunteer attorneys
and advisory staff, act as judges, jurors, clerks, bailiffs, and counsel for
first time juvenile offenders who are charged with misdemeanors and consent to
the program.” Since then, bar
associations, bar foundations, and young lawyer affiliates have been
instrumental in establishing, supporting, and promoting youth courts.
Thank you to the
American Bar Association and the Young Lawyers Division.
1996
The American
Probation and Parole Association developed and published Peer Justice and
Youth Empowerment: An Implementation Guide for Teen Court Programs to
provide program organizers with baseline information on developing,
implementing, and enhancing teen court programs within their
jurisdictions. Rather than endorsing one
particular model of teen court, this manual provides program organizers and
potential stakeholders with a general overview of issues to consider and guides
them through a decision making process for the implementation of a teen court
program that fits local needs. Sample
forms and other helpful resources also are included as supplemental
materials. This document is available on
www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
1996
Colonie Youth
Court Program Featured in the National Journal for Juvenile Justice and
Detention Services
This
professional journal article, entitled “Youth Court: The Colonie, New York
Experience”, outlines the rationale for a youth court program and describes
the successful experience of the Colonie Youth Court Program in Colonie, New
York. This article is available through
the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) at www.ncjrs.gov.
Search for NCJ Number 164675.
Scott Peterson, who was the founding director of the Colonie Youth Court
in New York in 1993, would later go on to leading a national and international
Global Youth Justice Movement and become the leading authority on these Global
Youth Justice programs rapidly expanding in America and around the world. This professional journal article is
available on www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
1997
Based on the success
of the first national survey of youth courts conducted in 1994, the United
States Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention (OJJDP) announced a plan for a large scale initiative to support
state and local youth court efforts. To
spearhead this national effort, former President Clinton appointed OJJDP
Administrator Shay Bilchik hired Scott Peterson, a local youth court director
from Colonie, New York to oversee and develop the federal youth court
initiative. Mr. Peterson began this
national initiative in 1997 and eleven years later in 2008 he would leave
federal service to establish Global Youth Justice, LLC in 2009 to advocate and
champion international efforts to expand these programs in America and around
the world. Mr. Peterson can now be
contacted at Scott.Peterson@GlobalYouthJustice.org
or DrYouthCourt@aol.com
1997
The State of West Virginia was one of the very first states to pass
legislation encouraging the expansion of youth court programs as a result of the outstanding work of local Teen Court directors like C.W. Mullins in West Virginia. For more information about state youth and
teen court legislation see An
Update on Teen Court Legislation by Michelle E. Heward.
1998
Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) becomes the Lead Federal Agency
on National Youth Court Initiative
Since the
federal government announced its plan to support youth courts in 1997, the
federal youth court initiative was administered by the Council for State
Governments (CSG) and the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA),
with continuing support from the National Highway Transportation Safety
Administration. In addition, at various
times, other federal agencies provided support to the federal youth court
initiative including the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, Corporation for
National and Community Service, U.S. Department of Education, and the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
From 1997 to
2008, Scott Peterson would successfully advocate for more than $10,000,000 from
five (5) different federal agencies.
These federal funds significantly expanded the Global Youth Justice
Movement in America through significant increases in training, technical
assistance, development of curriculum, events, grants, and more than seventy-five
(75) different projects national in scope.
This time period became the defining decade that shaped the Global Youth
Justice Movement in America. Mr.
Peterson would be the recipient of more than a dozen awards and became the
leading authority on these programs here in America and around the world.
1999
This
videoconference, entitled “Youth Courts: A National Movement”, was produced by
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention/United States
Department of Justice. The broadcast
informed participants of the advantages of using youth courts in a system of
graduated sanctions; identified effective practices for youth court
implementation; and shared information about national resources to support
youth court programs. More than 350
local communities in forty (40) states organized local community coalitions to
watch this National Satellite Conference on Youth Courts. This national satellite broadcast help launch
many new local youth court programs in dozens of states.
1999
Since the first
national survey funded by the Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention and conducted in 1994, youth court practitioners and
researchers began to recognize the need for additional research to validate the
effectiveness of youth court programs.
In addition, the number of youth courts across the country had grown from
about 50 in 1993 to over 1,200 in 2007.
In order to better support the growing youth court community, the Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention commissioned the Urban Institute
in Washington, DC to conduct a national survey of youth court programs.
The survey,
known as the Evaluation of Teen Courts (ETC) Project, studied youth courts in
four states: Alaska, Arizona, Maryland, and Missouri. Researchers measured pre-court attitudes and
post-court recidivism among more than 500 juveniles referred to youth court for
non-violent offenses such as shoplifting and vandalism. The study compared recidivism outcomes for
youth court defendants with outcomes for youth handled by the regular juvenile
justice system. The first phase of the
survey was to identify programs that used a range of court models, represented
a cross-section of existent youth court programs, and were willing to
participate in an evaluation.
In the next
phase, the Urban Institute conducted a three-year evaluation of the Anchorage
Youth Court in Anchorage, Alaska; the teen courts operated by the Arizona
Superior Court; the Montgomery County Teen Court in Rockville, Maryland; and
the Independence Youth Court in Independence, Missouri. The results of the survey were published in
April 2002 as a research report entitled The Impact of Teen Court on
Young Offenders. Scott Peterson
would especially like to thank Dr. Jeffrey Butts for his work on this project
and for supporting the Youth Court and Teen Court Movement. This report is available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
In 1999, the
United States Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention and the Bureau of Justice Assistance sponsored a national youth
court conference in Anchorage, Alaska.
Over 360 youth and adults from Alaska and twenty-two other states
attended. Speakers included Sharon Leon,
John Wilson and Scott Peterson among many others. Programs included national
speakers, a mock trial, informational panels, and a discussion of different
youth court models. Scott Peterson would
like to thank the United Youth Courts of Alaska, Mark Begich, and Tom Begich.
2000
American Bar
Association publishes Technical Assistance Bulletin on
Youth Court.
In 2000, the
American Bar Association, Division for Public Education developed and published
Technical Assistance Bulletin #17 entitled “Youth Court: A National
Movement”. This bulletin
provides readers with an overview of youth courts; explains their connection
and positive contribution to law-related education; profiles the support of the
legal profession; and provides resources for the creation and enhancement of
youth courts. This technical assistance
bulletin is available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
2000
National Youth Court Guidelines are Released
This document
was designed to give youth courts direction for developing and operating
effective programs for the ultimate purpose of increasing program
accountability and integrity of the youth court field. Each chapter begins with a brief overview of
the guidelines that are recommended for that particular program area. Afterwards, each guideline is discussed in
more detail. A rationale for each
guideline and tips for implementation are included. At the conclusion of each chapter, there is a
section that identifies some outcomes youth court programs might reasonably
expect if they adhere to the recommendations made. Guidelines have been developed in the
following program areas: program
planning and community mobilization; program staffing and funding; legal
issues; identified respondent population and referral process; program services
and sentencing options; volunteer recruitment and management; volunteer
training; youth court operations and case management; and program
evaluation. This publication is
available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
2000
The Honorable
and late William Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court,
discussed teen court with the grandfather of a Michigan City, Indiana Teen
Court volunteer. (information
courtesy of Bonita Schaaf, Coordinator, Michigan City Teen Court, Michigan
City, Indiana)
In October 2000
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention published a Bulletin
entitled Teen Courts: A Focus on Research. This Bulletin provides an overview of teen
court characteristics and implementation challenges, based on information
obtained from the first national survey of teen courts conducted by the Urban
Institute in 1998-1999. The information
in this Bulletin summarizes evaluation literature on teen courts, and serves as
an interim report on the first phase of the Evaluation of Teen Courts
Project. This document is available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
2000
First Ever
Federally sponsored National Conference on Youth Courts is held in Albuquerque,
New Mexico
The Federal
Youth Court Program, in collaboration with the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention and the National Highway Transportation Safety
Administration, hosted the very first national conference for youth courts in
Albuquerque, New Mexico from October 22-26, 2000. The conference attracted
approximately 600 attendees from 30 states, the District of Columbia, and
Italy, with over 240 of the attendees being youth. Youth court coordinators, youth and adult
volunteers, juvenile justice professionals, educators, and others who were
interested in implementing or enhancing youth court programs were among the attendees. United States Senator Jeff Bingaman of New
Mexico was the keynote speaker at this event.
Other speakers included Scott Peterson and John Wilson. Scott Peterson would like to thank the New
Mexico Teen Court Association.
The 2000's
2001
In March 2000,
the American Probation and Parole Association convened a focus group to examine
and discuss the role of restorative justice in teen court programs. The panel consisted of persons working in
teen courts and persons working actively in more traditional restorative
justice based programs.
As a result of
this focus group a report entitled The Role of Restorative Justice in Teen
Courts: A Preliminary Look was published.
This document provides a brief overview of restorative justice
principles and addresses several key issues the focus group members identified
that serve as a promising foundation from which teen courts can begin to move
toward integrating more restorative justice-based practices within their
programs. This document is available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
2001
Publication
Promotes Law-Related Education as Sentencing Option for
Youth Courts
In 2001, Street
Law, Inc., in coordination with the Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention, published a document entitled Street Law for Youth Courts:
Educational Workshops. This document
was designed as an information resource for youth courts when establishing their
educational workshops/programs. The
lessons are designed to initiate a law-related education program as a
sentencing option for youth court offenders.
However, the lessons also may be used to train youth volunteers. These interactive lessons focus on the most
frequent offenses for which youth are referred to youth court such as theft;
possession of alcohol; vandalism; bullying; assault and sexual harassment. The document also includes instructor guides,
lesson plans, and handouts for youth participants. This publication is available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
The
Council on Public Legal Education (CPLE) formed a partnership with the Washington
Judges Foundation (WJF) to improve the quantity and quality of youth courts in
Washington State. Since 2001, the WJF
has been funding the CPLE's ongoing efforts to support the state's youth
courts, and to assist teams interested in starting a new youth court in their
community. As part of these efforts, the CPLE offers a "Youth Court Start
up Conference" every two years. The WJF also increases interest in youth
courts by publicizing them among the state's judiciary. (information courtesy of Pam Inglesby,
Council on Public Legal Education, Washington State Bar Association, Seattle,
Washington)
2001
Constitutional
Rights Foundation and Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago Pass a
Resolution in Support of Youth Courts
The resolution
reads as follows:
RESOLVED, That the Constitutional Rights
Foundation and the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago encourage schools,
youth programs, attorneys, judges, and police departments to work together to
form and expand diversionary programs, known as youth courts, where juveniles,
under the supervision of representatives from the education and legal
communities, determine sentencing for first time juvenile offenders who are
charged with misdemeanors or minor infractions of school rules and consent to participate
in the program, recognizing that an important sentencing option – community
service – serves both the offender and the community.
Wisconsin
governor Douglas La Follette proclaimed November 1, 2001 as “Wisconsin Teen
Court Day”. (information courtesy
of Nancy Anne Miller, Associate Professor, Youth Development Agent, Vilas
County, Eagle River, WI)
On December 20,
2001, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Dennis J. Hastert,
read the following resolution before the Congress:
“Mr. Speaker, I
rise to praise the efforts of the Constitutional Rights Foundation and the
Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago.
Their work encourages schools, youth programs, attorneys, judges, and
police departments to work together to form and expand diversionary programs. These programs, known as youth courts, are
where juveniles, under the supervision of representatives from the education
and legal communities, determine sentencing for first time juvenile offenders
who are charged with misdemeanors or minor infractions of school rules. The program displays that as a sentencing
option – community service – can serve both the offender and the community”.
The American
Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), in coordination with the American Bar Association,
the National Center for Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the American
Probation and Parole Association, the Constitutional Rights Foundation/Chicago,
and the Urban Institute, sponsored a forum on youth courts on Capitol Hill in
Washington, DC. There was standing room
only at this event, which was designed to provide policymakers with greater
insight into the youth court concept.
The forum began with Terrence S. Donahue, Acting Administrator of the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention providing an update on
the federal government’s support of youth courts. Also, William C. Pericak, an assistant U.S.
Attorney for the Northern District of New York in Albany, New York, introduced
youth from the Colonie Youth Court and the Time Dollar Youth Court in
Washington, DC. Sarah Pearson and Scott
Peterson organized the event. The youth
from Colonie Youth Court re-enacted the Youth Judge Model. Following the re-enactment, a panel of youth
court experts provided perspectives on the success of the youth court
movement. For more information about
this forum or for a copy of the Forum Brief, visit the AYPF web site at www.aypf.org and www.globalyouthjustice.org
.
2002
The Federal
Youth Court Program and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention (OJJDP) launched a 12-Month Public Awareness Campaign designed to
help raise the public’s awareness of youth related issues of national
concern. Through this campaign, nearly
150,000 youth court volunteers were encouraged to support a series of public
service activities. Local youth courts
were encouraged to become involved in at least four of the twelve public
service campaigns per year.
In September
2001, a ballot was sent to each active youth court so they could vote on which
campaigns they would like to see the 12-Month Public Awareness Campaign
focus. Each youth court was encouraged
to solicit input from their youth and adult volunteers before casting their
ballot. In December 2001, each local
youth court received a 12-Month Public Awareness Campaign Package. This package contained information on the
public awareness campaigns selected for each month in 2002, and instructions on
how local youth courts could become involved in each campaign.
Following is the
12-Month Public Awareness Campaign for 2002:
January Martin Luther Kind Day of Service
February National Child Passenger Safety Awareness
Week
March National Inhalants and Poisons
Awareness Week
April National Crime Victims’
Rights Week
May Law Day
June National Safety Month
July National Parents Day
August National Kids Day
September National Youth Court
Month
October Make a Difference Day
November Family Volunteer Day,
National
December The One On for Safety
Campaign, Red Ribbon
To recognize
each local youth court for their participation in the 12-Month Public Awareness
Campaign, the Federal Youth Court Program and the Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention awarded a special certificate of merit to each youth
court that participated in four or more of the monthly public service campaigns
by the end of 2002. The Federal Youth
Court Program also established a special section on its web site and in its
quarterly newsletter for inclusion of pictures and campaign highlights
submitted by local youth courts.
September is National Youth Court Month and now Global Youth Justice
Month. Local programs around the world
now have the option of celebrating Global Youth Justice Month. For more information on Global Youth Justice
Month to begin in 2010, please visit www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
In April 2002
the Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center published The Impact of Teen
Court on Young Offenders. This
document is the final report of findings from the Evaluation of Teen Courts
(ETC) Project, which was conducted by the Urban Institute and funded by the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention during 1998-1999. For more information on the ETC Project see
page 13. This document is available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
2002
The energizing
effect of the first federally sponsored national gathering of youth courts in
October 2000 resulted in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention and its partners sponsoring a second national conference in
Arlington, Virginia on April 14-16, 2002.
This conference attracted over 900 participants, nearly half of whom
were youth. More than 63 educational
workshops were offered on topics such as finding and retaining volunteers;
involving victims with the youth court process; interviewing victims and
witnesses; efficacy training for youth judges; ethics for volunteers; and how
to implement restorative justice principles into a youth court program. This is the largest ever National Conference
on Youth Courts and Teen Courts.
America’s Youth Justice System was the theme for this conference. Scott Peterson, Sarah Pearson, Tracy
Godwin-Mullins, and Karen Daniel were just some of the speakers at this awesome
gathering of youth and adults.
This document,
entitled Youth Courts: Young People Delivering Justice, and
published by the American Bar Association with support from the Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, provides an overview of youth
courts and describes their structure, funding, effectiveness, and challenges,
as well as the collaboration needed among the legal, law enforcement, and
education professionals and the community and youth volunteers. In order to demonstrate the wide variety of
youth courts, the author profiles ten local youth courts representing juvenile
justice, community, and school settings as well as innovative variations. Information about statewide youth court
associations and additional youth court resources are provided. This document is available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
2002
Youth Court
Training Package for Adult and Youth Volunteers Wins Prestigious Award from the
Association of Educational Publishers
The Youth Court
Youth and Adult Volunteer Training Package won the “Distinguished Achievement
Award for Multimedia Instructional Materials, Young Adult Category” from the
Association of Educational Publishers.
This award was presented at the 2002 Distinguished Achievement Awards
Gala, hosted by the National Press Club.
The award is considered the most prestigious award in educational
publishing. There were more than 1,000
entries and 299 finalists for the six categories of awards.
The training
package provides instructional resources for youth court staff, and offers
high-quality materials for training youth court volunteers. The materials also provide trainers with the
opportunity to model the qualities inherent to effective youth courts and to
examine some of the universal moral principals and common codes of behavior
that underlie legal systems – honesty, respect, responsibility, compassion. The complete training package includes: 1) a Guide for Trainers with lessons
for all youth court models on topics such as the American justice system,
balanced and restorative justice, conducting a hearing, and deliberating on a
disposition; 2) Youth Volunteer Handbooks for adult judge, youth judge,
tribunal, and peer jury youth court models; 3) Changing Lives: America’s
Youth Court, a short video introducing the concept of youth courts; and 4)
a CD to tailor materials to local needs.
These materials were developed by the American Bar Association, Division
for Public Education, with funds from the National Youth Court Center, the
American Probation and Parole Association, the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of
Education. For more information, or to
order this training package, visit the ABA web site at www.abanet.org and/or contact technicalassistance@globalyouthjustice.org
2002
The American Probation and Parole Association Passes Resolution in Support of Youth Courts.
On June 9, 2002,
the American Probation and Parole Association adopted the following
resolution:
Therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the American Probation and Parole Association joins in
the celebration of the first National Youth Court Month and hereby recognizes
the importance of youth courts to our communities and recommends that
probation, parole, and community supervision agencies support and assist in the
formation and expansion of diversionary programs, known as youth court.
After several
years of planning, Teen Court Yamanashi, the very first youth court in Japan
finally became operational on June 21, 2002.
This court was formulated to include 13- to 18-year-old students as
respondents and 19- to 22-year-old students as jurors. The local court determines the types of cases
that Teen Court Yamanashi hears. Cases
include petty theft, graffiti, and truancy committed by offenders who are under
20 years old.
Professor Naoya
Yamaguchi, who worked diligently to get this program established in Japan,
began gathering information about youth court programs in the United States in
the 1990’s and published a booklet in Japan explaining the youth court
concept. He found, however, that a
number of obstacles hindered progress toward his goal of establishing a youth
court in Japan. The court system in
Japan is nationally administered, which does not give the local courts and
local judges the authority to introduce the youth court program, even as a form
of diversion. It was additionally
difficult to gain acceptance of the youth court concept since Japan does not
have a jury system. However, the
establishment of Teen Court Yamanashi, along with recent reforms to the
judicial system, will help youth courts gain broader acceptance in the Japanese
justice system.
2002
Film Crews
from France and Germany visit the Colonie Youth Court Program in New York
French and
German filmmakers wanted to highlight a program in the United States to educate
the public on the effectiveness of youth courts, and to promote the creation of
more programs in France and Germany.
During their visit to the Colonie Youth Court Program in Colonie, New
York, four youth and their families agreed to have their cases filmed for the
documentary, as well as many of the youth court members who were assigned to
represent the cases. In addition, the
documentary highlighted many aspects of the criminal and juvenile system in New
York. This documentary aired on German
and French public television.
This special
month dedicated to youth courts was formally established by The President of
the United States of America in a letter dated September 2002. The United States Department of Justice
provided posters, action kits, and much more to encourage youth court and teen
court programs to seek local proclamations, schedule special activities, reach
out to the media, and hold statewide conferences to celebrate the month. This annual event not only brings greater
attention to the value of youth court to their communities but also inspires a
wide variety of additional community service activities by the youth court
volunteers. Hundreds of local youth courts, teen courts, peer courts, student courts and youth peer panels have participated in National Youth/Teen Court Month.
This manual, entitled Giving Back: a Community Service-Learning Manual for Youth Courts was published by the Constitutional Rights Foundation with support from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The document gives youth courts and other juvenile justice agencies the tools they need to apply school-based service-learning methods to court-mandated community service. Giving Back provides skill-building strategies and materials to introduce juvenile offenders to basic concepts of community and community problems and offers three options for planning and implementing community service-learning projects specifically designed to deal with ten offenses that youth courts and other juvenile justice agencies most frequently address.
This document
was revised and updated in 2006. The
revised edition was published as Giving Back: Introducing Community
Service Learning/Improving Mandated Community Service for Juvenile Offenders. This publication is available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
2002
On December 17,
2002, the Board of Street Law, Inc. adopted the following resolution in
support of the national youth court initiative:
Whereas youth
courts offer:
. . . young
first-time, nonviolent offenders who admit their guilt an opportunity to be
sentenced by their peers and to receive a consequence that reflects the ideals
of and educates the offenders in restorative justice;
. . . police
officers, probation officers, and juvenile court judges with a heavy docket an
innovative alternative to dismissing less serious cases and sending first-time
offenders outside of the formal juvenile justice proceedings;
. . . young
volunteers the chance to serve as judges, jurors, bailiffs, and clerks a
coordinated effort to hold their peers accountable with balanced sentences that
repair harm done to the offenders victim, the community, and to the offender
himself or herself.
And whereas
youth courts build:
. . . ties between
the justice system, members of the community, and youth;
. . . an
awareness in youth of the law and the consequences of delinquency;
. . . a type of
community where youth can contribute to society and demonstrate democracy in
action;
Therefore, be
it resolved:
That we commend,
support, and assist those involved in youth courts and others in developing
youth courts.
2003
In 2003, the
American Probation and Parole Association, in coordination with the Council of
State Governments, published a policy brief designed to provide youth courts
with a succinct tool they could use to educate their policymakers about the
benefits and characteristics of youth court programs. The policy brief, entitled Youth Court:
A Path to Civic Engagement, provides local, state, and federal
policymakers with background information on youth courts, as well as highlights
current local and state policy in support of youth court. It also describes how youth court helps young
people learn the value of actively participating as citizens to help make a
difference in their communities. This
policy brief is available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
This article,
entitled “Youth Courts as Service Learning”, was published in the Spring issue
of the Constitutional Rights Foundation’s Service-Learning NETWORK. The article explores the notion that youth courts
can serve as learning laboratories, not just for youthful offenders but also
for the entire student body. By
providing an ongoing forum in which students can apply critical-thinking,
leadership, and civic-education skills, youth courts--also described as teen or peer courts--can
help students and teachers complete the service-learning equation between
classroom theory and meaningful school- and community-based practice. This article is available on the
Constitutional Rights Foundation’s web site at www.crf-usa.org/network/net9_3.htm
and on www.globalyouthjustice.org
2003
United States
Justice Department Becomes National Partner in 15th Annual Global
Youth Service Day and Launches Large Scale National Effort to Include Youth
Court Programs
National Youth
Service Day (NYSD) is the largest service event in the world. This event is organized by Youth Service
America, and every year millions of youth participate in projects aimed at
raising public awareness and highlighting the contributions that young people
make to their communities. The goals of
NYSD are 1) to mobilize youth to identify and address the needs of their
communities through service; 2) to support youth on a life-long path of service
and civic engagement; and 3) to educate the public, the media, and policymakers
about the year-round contributions of young people as community leaders. On NYSD, young people design and lead
service-learning projects covering a broad range of issues, including literacy,
the environment, healthcare, nutrition, and poverty.
In 2003, for the
first time in the history of the event, the United States Department of Justice
(DOJ) was a national partner in NYSD. As
a result, DOJ approved the Federal Youth Court Program to award $250
mini-grants to fifty (50) youth court programs to plan and conduct events in
support of NYSD. Youth courts across
America mobilized and participated in a wide variety of projects that had
profound effects on their communities.
Global Youth Justice, LLC encourages all local and state youth and teen
court efforts to include participation in National Youth Service Day – which is
now called Global Youth Service Day.
Global Youth Justice, LLC is an international partner in Global Youth
Service Day. For more information log on
the Youth Service America website at http://ysa.org/GlobalYouthServiceDay/tabid/254/Default.aspx.
2004
American Bar
Association Publishes Technical Assistance Bulletin on Making Youth Courts
Effective
In 2004, the
American Bar Association, Division for Public Education developed and published
Technical Assistance Bulletin #25 entitled “Making Youth Court as
Effective as Possible”. This
bulletin is designed to share lessons learned in Kentucky over the last twelve
years about youth courts and what makes them work. This document is available on www.globalyouthserviceday.org
2004
American Bar
Association Publishes Technical Assistance Bulletin on
In 2004, the
American Bar Association, Division for Public Education developed and published
Technical Assistance Bulletin #26 entitled “Youth Court Training for
Results”. This bulletin provides
youth court coordinators and administrators with introductory information on
identifying the type of volunteer training program needed, developing
instructional goals for a training program for youth volunteers, designing a
youth court volunteer training agenda based on learning objectives, making the
best possible use of community resource people in delivering training to the
young people, and evaluating a training program. This document is available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
2004
United States
Justice Department Official speaks About Youth Courts at
UNICEF Event
Scott Peterson
of the Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention spoke about the benefits of youth court at a UNICEF event in
NYC. UNICEF is the United Nations
Children’s Fund, and is the world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing
countries. UNICEF also supports child
health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for
all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation,
and AIDS.
Youth court has
received interest from a wide variety of countries. People from countries as diverse as Norway,
Russia, Nigeria, Germany, Great Britain, and Italy have visited various local
youth courts across America to explore the possibility of adopting the program
for their countries. Mr. Peterson has
also provided training and technical assistance on developing youth court
programs to people representing Canada and the Philippines. In 2009, Mr. Peterson is working with five
(5) countries outside of his work in America to help expand these Global Youth
Justice programs. For more information,
please contact scott.peterson@GlobalYouthJustice.org
and/or visit www.globalyouthjustice.org
2004
This report,
entitled Selected Topics on Youth Courts, A Monograph, was
published by the American Probation and Parole Association and the Council of
State Governments. This monograph features papers on the following six topics:
1) Addressing Truancy in Youth Court
Programs
2) Underage Drinking
and Other Substance Abuse: Opportunities for Prevention and Intervention by
Youth Courts
3) An Overview of School-Based Youth Court
Program Design Options
4) Building Culturally Relevant Youth
Courts in Tribal Communities
5) A Comparison of Statewide Youth Court
Associations and Networking Groups
6) Media Access Guidelines for Youth Courts
2004
United States Justice
Department receives National Award for Youth Court
The Justice
Department’s Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) received an award from the American Probation
and Parole Association (APPA) for its renowned leadership and support for youth
courts as a program that can both address juvenile crime and promote civic
engagement among America’s young people.
APPA President Andrew Molloy presented the award during the plenary
session at the APPA Annual Institute in Orlando, Florida to Lizette Benedi,
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, OJP, who accepted the award on behalf of
Assistant Attorney General Deborah J. Daniels and OJJDP program manager Scott
B. Peterson. Mr. Molloy emphasized that,
because of the incredible support that OJP has provided to APPA’s national
youth court initiatives, the number of youth courts has increased by more than
1,000 percent in the last decade.
2005
According to the
first national survey, in 1994 there were only 78 youth courts nationwide. By 2005 that number had grown to an
astounding 1,037. The exponential growth
of youth courts continues today as communities realize the benefits of having a
program in their area. Reaching this
important benchmark in the national youth court movement could not have been
accomplished without the support of program coordinators, volunteers, and
communities who wholeheartedly believe in the program and work diligently
everyday to make it flourish. If you
have an operational youth or teen court program or you are establishing a new
program, please email your contact information to GlobalYouthJustice@GlobalYouthJustice.org
2005
Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Receives National Award for
Excellence in Community Crime Prevention
The American
Probation and Parole Association (APPA) Award for Excellence in Crime
Prevention recognizes community corrections agencies, or community crime
prevention programs coordinating with a community corrections agency, that have
integrated community crime prevention initiatives into the traditional roles of
supervision, intervention and sanctioning of offenders. APPA President Drew Molloy presented the
award to Scott B. Peterson, Program Manager with the Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention during a networking dinner for State Youth Court
Associations and Networking Groups. Mr.
Peterson accepted the award on behalf of all the active and developing youth
courts, teen courts, peer courts, and student courts across the nation. In 2008, Mr. Peterson left the OJJDP after a
decade to serve as the National Director of Criminal and Juvenile Justice at
YouthBuild USA and President and Founder of Global Youth Justice, LLC.
2005
The Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention convenes National Meeting of State
Youth Court Associations and
Networking
Groups
Scott Peterson
gathered some of leaders representing state youth court associations or
networking groups from 14 states convened in Washington, DC for the first
national meeting of State Youth Court Associations and Networking Groups. States represented at the meeting included
Alaska, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York,
South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and
Wisconsin. The purpose of the meeting
was to give association members and networking groups and opportunity to
interact with one another and learn from each other how to enhance policies and
procedures and how to generate ideas about how to more effectively manage youth
courts. Another primary purpose of the
meeting was to start getting staff in local and state youth and teen court
efforts to take on projects and activities on a national level without the
federal government. Although the
National Youth and Teen Court Movement was growing on a local level and in a
handful of states – there was little to no coordination on a national
level. For more information on State
Associations and State Networking Groups, please visit www.globalyouthjustice.org and
email scott.peterson@globalyouthjustice.org
On April 15,
2005, the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) held a briefing for policymakers
on youth courts on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The AYPF, in coordination with the Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, conducted a nationwide review of
youth court programs between November 2004 and January 2005. A total of 365 youth court coordinators from
across the United States participated in the study. A 40% return rate yielded a successful
snapshot of the landscape for youth courts nationwide.
Sarah Pearson and Scott Peterson spearheaded this effort to increase support
for youth and teen court among policymakers and their staff. The goal of this forum was to provide
policymakers and the public with an overview of youth court programs, their
characteristics, and their benefits. For
a copy of the Forum Brief that summarizes this briefing, visit http://www.aypf.org/forumbriefs/2005/fb4.15.05.htm
or www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
2005
Important
Report on Youth Courts Released by the American Youth Policy Forum at a
Briefing on Capitol Hill
On April 15,
2005, at a briefing on Capitol Hill sponsored by the American Youth Policy
Forum (AYPF), a report entitled Youth Courts: A Community Solution for
Embracing At-Risk Youth, was released.
This report presents findings from a nationwide review of youth court
programs across the United States between November of 2004 and January of
2005. The findings outlined in the
report are both surprising and inspiring and cover topics such as: program
completion, cost, impact on youth offenders and volunteers, educational and
civic opportunities, program sustainability, and recommendations to
policymakers. This document is available
on www.globalyouthjustice.org
In 2005, the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the National Highway
Transportation Safety Administration provided $250.00 mini-grants to seventy
local youth court programs. These grants
were awarded in conjunction with National Youth Service Day (NYSD). NYSD is the largest service event in the
world, and records and celebrates the contributions that youth make to their
communities throughout the year.
Since 2003, the
United States Justice Department has served as a national partner in the
event. These grants served to assist
youth courts in planning and conducting a service project during NYSD. Fifteen of the mini-grants were designated
for service projects that addressed traffic safety issues. Other mini-grants were used by youth courts
to plan and conduct activities during NYSD week. National Youth Service Day is now referred to
as Global Youth Service Day. Global
Youth Justice, LLC is a partner in Global Youth Service Day which is celebrated
every April for three days. Start
planning now for the next Global Youth Service Day!
2005
On May 1, 2005,
people across the nation celebrated Law Day.
Law Day is an annual event sponsored by the American Bar Association
(ABA), Division of Public Education.
Lawyers, judges, educators, and legal professionals gather to celebrate
our legal system and their faith in people’s abilities to make wise decisions
in our democracy. The theme of Law Day
in 2005 was “The American Jury: We the People in Action”. Youth courts across the nation participated
in this event. Many youth courts
received the Law Day Planning Guide. This guide contains valuable information on
how to make Law Day a success year after year.
The guide is available on the ABA web site at www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday/guidemain.html. For more information about Law Day, visit the
ABA web site at www.aba.org. Law Day is every May for one day and teen
courts and youth courts are strongly urged to involve their youth and adults to
participate each year. Global Youth
Justice is a partner in Law Day and we encourage all local youth court and teen
court programs to participate. Log on to
www.globalyouthjustice.org Start planning now for the next Law Day!
2005
During fiscal
year 2005 the state of Alaska was awarded a Congressional earmark in the amount
of $986,643 under the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Congressional Earmark Program. The
purpose of the grant project was to build capacity in the Alaska Youth Court
and Community Panel Program through the enhancement of existing youth courts and
community panels and expansion of the program into other communities around the
state. This project provided increased
resources to address juvenile crime at the front end of the service continuum. Activities included ongoing training and
technical assistance, juvenile offender diversion and case disposition, case
management, community development, and sustainability planning. The project served approximately 900 victims,
900 juvenile offenders, and 1,200 adult and youth volunteers throughout the state
during a one-year period. An evaluation
component also was developed and implemented to gauge effectiveness of both the
youth court model and the community panel model in urban and rural settings. For more information on Youth Courts in
Alaska, please visit United Youth Courts of Alaska
http://www.alaskayouthcourt.org/
2005
TIME Magazine
Publishes Historic Article on Colonie Youth Court Program
On Monday, July
18, 2005 an article on the Colonie Youth Court Program in Colonie, New York
appeared in Time magazine. The
article, entitled “A Jury of Their Peers” by Jeremy Caplan, describes a
typical case handled by the youth court program in Colonie, New York, and
explains how youth court is becoming an institution across the United
States. This article is available on
Time magazine’s web site at www.time.com and
was read by millions around the world.
Scott Peterson was the founding director of the Colonie Youth Court in
1993 and worked there until 19978 before joining OJJDP in later in 1997 to
launch a large scale National Youth Court Program.
2005
Teen Court and Youth Court State
Associations and State Network Groups convened in Washington, DC
On October 1,
2005, the federal government, lead by then OJJDP program manager Scott Peterson
from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency (OJJDP) with support from
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of
Education’s Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, launched an eighteen month
initiative to enhance existing state associations and support the development
of new state associations. One of the primary objectives of this
initiative was to increase, over an 18-month period, the number of state
associations and networking groups from 18 to 25. Additionally, the goal was to ensure that
operational associations are functioning on a higher level than the previous
year, and that the group of associations and networking groups become more
cohesive on a national level. For a
listing of State Coalitions and State Networking Groups, please log on to www.globalyouthjustice.org. For assistance implementing and/or enhancing
a State Coalition or State Association, please email TechnicalAssistance@GlobalYouthJustice.org
2006
The National
Child Labor Committee presented the Lewis Hine Award to Scott B. Peterson for
his leadership and advocacy to expand the youth court movement in America and
around the world. The Lewis Hine Award
honors unheralded Americans and several better-known leaders for their unique
contributions to the essential job of helping children and youth move towards
self-sufficiency and satisfying adulthoods.
In 1993, Scott B. Peterson's mind was on fire with the idea of picking
up on a new and innovative program called youth court. At that time, Scott was working
in Albany, New York, at a homeless youth shelter. He wanted to do something
different, something more, and something that would keep many teenagers from
ending up in shelters. A youth court - an alternative to a traditional juvenile
justice system - made up of teenaged youth who volunteer to act as judges,
attorneys and juries, made sense to Scott.
A committee that included Scott was
formed, and the youth court concept was explored as a viable option to dealing
with delinquent youth. As a result of
this committee the Capital District and the Colonie Youth Court Program were
established in 1994. Less than two years
later, Scott was asked by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice to
help them establish similar youth courts throughout the state. He worked
closely on the compilation of instructional manuals and operational materials.
Soon thereafter the federal government also came to the Albany area to explore
the possibility of promoting the notion of youth courts throughout the country.
And they did.
The United States Department of Justice
did more than incorporate the concept of youth courts into its national
program; they also took Scott with them as part of the package. In the nine
years he has coordinated the Federal Youth Court Program, he has done much to
contribute to the establishment of hundreds of youth court programs around the
United States. Thanks
to Scott's efforts, the growth of the youth court concept has been recognized
by the federal government, hailed by the Urban Institute, and praised by UNICEF
as a positive force in our world. In
2008 and in 2009, Scott Peterson will travel around the globe to an increasing
number of countries and continue his efforts to expand the use of youth courts
and teen courts as a diversion to the formal juvenile justice and criminal
justice system. Mr. Peterson donated
the money to a Teen Suicide program and Youth Service America. A photo of Scott Peterson accepting the award
is available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
2006
American Bar Association Releases Guide Book to Typical
Offenses Handled in Youth Court Programs
This
document, entitled Youth Cases for Youth Courts: A Guide to the Typical
Offenses Handled by Youth Courts, was published in 2006 by the American
Bar Association (ABA), Division for Public Education. It is an invaluable guide for both new and
existing youth courts that are trying to determine the types of cases their
program should accept or that want to expand their referral base. It begins by discussing how to create and
maintain a referral committee and what overall factors youth courts should
consider in making decisions about what cases to accept and reject. Readers also will find plenty of advice and
practical tips from leaders of some of the most successful and longstanding
youth courts across the country. The
second section of the document includes outlines of 27 offenses commonly
accepted by youth courts, and includes information about special issues youth
courts might face with respect to each offense, and tips for creative
dispositions. This document is available
for purchase from the ABA at www.abanet.org and can be downloaded for free on www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
2006
United States Senate Passes Resolution Designating September
2006 as National Youth Court Month (National Youth Court Month began in 2002).
United
States Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska submitted a resolution designating
September 2006 as National Youth Court Month.
This resolution was supported by Senators Murkowski of Alaska; Akaka of
Hawaii; DeWine of Ohio; Feingold of Wisconsin; Domenici of New Mexico; and
Chambliss of Georgia, and was passed on September 25, 2006. The resolution reads as follows:
Whereas a strong country begins with strong
communities in which all citizens play an active role and invest in the success
and future of the youth of the United States;
Whereas the fifth National Youth Court Month celebrates the
outstanding achievement of youth courts throughout the country;
Whereas in 2005, more than 110,000 youths volunteered to hear more
than 115,000 juvenile cases, and more than 20,000 adults volunteered to
facilitate peer justice in youth court programs;
Whereas 1,158 youth court programs in 49 States and the District of
Columbia provide restorative justice for juvenile offenders, resulting in
effective crime prevention, early intervention and education for all youth
participants, and enhanced public safety throughout the United States;
Whereas, by holding juvenile offenders accountable, reconciling
victims, communities, juvenile offenders, and their families, and reducing
caseloads for the juvenile justice system, youth courts address offenses that
might otherwise go unaddressed until the offending behavior escalates and
redirects the efforts of juvenile offenders toward becoming contributing
members of their communities;
Whereas Federal, State, and local governments, corporations,
foundations, service organizations, educational institutions, juvenile justice
agencies, and individual adults support youth courts because youth court
programs actively promote and contribute to building successful, productive
lives and futures for the youth of the United States;
Whereas a fundamental correlation exists between youth service and
lifelong adult commitment to and involvement in one's community;
Whereas volunteer service and related service learning
opportunities enable young people to build character and develop and enhance
life-skills, such as responsibility, decision-making, time management,
teamwork, public speaking, and leadership, which prospective employers will
value; and
Whereas participating in youth court programs encourages youth
court members to become valuable members of their communities: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate designates September 2006 as
`National Youth Court Month'”.
By designating
this month National Youth Court Month, the Senate has highlighted the importance
of youth volunteer service.”
In 2006, the
Constitutional Rights Foundation, in coordination with the Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, published a document entitled Giving
Back: Introducing Community Service Learning/Improving Mandated Community
Service for Juvenile Offenders.
This document is an updated and revised edition of the original Giving
Back: A Community Service-Learning Manual for Youth Courts. It
gives youth courts and other juvenile justice agencies the tools they need to
apply school-based service-learning methods to court-mandated community
service. This document provides skill
building strategies and materials to introduce juvenile offenders to basic
concepts of community and community problems and offers three options for
planning and implementing community service-learning projects specifically
designed to deal with ten offenses that youth courts and other juvenile justice
agencies most frequently address. This
document is available on www.globalyouthjustice.org
In 2006, the
Federal Youth Court Program, with funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention and the National Highway Transportation Safety
Administration, awarded mini-grants to 81 youth court programs. These grants were awarded in conjunction with
National and Global Youth Service Day (NGYSD).
NGYSD is the largest service event in the world. This event supports youth on a life-long path
of service and civic engagement, and educates the public, the media, and
elected officials about the role of youth as community resources.
These grants
served to assist youth courts in planning and conducting NGYSD projects. A few of the activities conducted by youth
courts in 2006 included assembling care packages for military units deployed to
Iraq; designing and creating murals to cover walls for a visitation room where
children in foster care visit their parents; building a memorial trail to
identify youth who have died in the past year as a result of underage drinking
or DUI crashes; reading books to children in hospitals and libraries; and
working with local animal shelters.
Since 2003, the
federal government has awarded over 300 mini-grants and hundreds of local youth
courts have undertaken projects in support of this initiative. For more information about National and
Global Youth Service Day, visit the web site at http://ysa.org/NatlGYSD/tabid/59/Default.aspx.
2006
A Record 1,127 Youth Courts were
operating throughout the United States in 2006.
By 2006
forty-nine States and the District of Columbia had at least one youth court
program. In addition, hundreds more
communities were in the process of planning and establishing local youth court
programs. CT is the only state without
an existing program. If you have an operational
teen court or youth court, please email your full contact information to scott.peterson@globalyouthjustice.org
The National Youth Court Resources Publication
Guide and CD-Rom was release in 2006. This document is a compilation of resources
that have been developed to provide assistance to communities that want to
start or enhance youth, teen, peer, or student court programs. Anyone looking for answers or information on
a multitude of youth court issues will find a publication to help in this
document and CD-Rom. For more
information, or to download any of the publications listed in this resource
document, go to www.globalyouthjustice.org
as all the publications on this CD-Rom are available to be downloaded for
free. For a hard copy of the CD-Rom
mailed to you for a small shipping and duplication fee, please email technicalassistance@GlobalYouthJustice.org
2006
First Lady Laura Bush Visits the Colonie
Youth Court Program
On October 4,
2006, while the First Lady was in the Capital Region of New York campaigning
for a local Congressman, she visited the Colonie Youth Court Program in Latham,
New York. During her visit, the First
Lady observed a mock trial, and talked with some of the youth court volunteers
and defendants about their experiences with the program. This is the first time a First Lady has
visited a youth court. This was
coordinated by Scott Peterson while he worked in the Executive Branch of the
United States Government. Mr. Peterson
also was the founder and former director the Colonie Youth Court back in
1993. For more information about the
First Lady’s visit to the Colonie Youth Court Program, visit their web site at www.colonie.org/police/YouthCourt/index.htm.
2007
Russian Judges
Meet With Teen Court Officials From Montgomery
County,
Maryland
A delegation of judges from Russia met
with the Teen Court Coordinator in Montgomery County, Maryland to have a
session of court filmed and subtitled for use in developing Teen Court in
Russia. The
Maryland-Leningrad Rule of Law project hosted a delegation of three judges from
the Kingesepp City Court in Russia.
Russian Judges Elena Kulshina, Tatiana Arzshanenko, and Lubov
Kondrashova made up the delegation.
The delegation began the educational portion of the program by visiting the
Juvenile Assessment Center, which is a multi-agency center bringing together
the services of the Montgomery County Police Department, the Montgomery County
Department of Health and Human Services, the Maryland Department of Juvenile
Justice (DJJ) and other agencies. Next,
the delegates had the opportunity to have roundtable discussions with agency
heads of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Screening and Assessment
Services for Children and Adolescents (SASCA), Child and Adolescent Forensic
Evaluation Services (CAFES) and Child Welfare Services; the Police Department’s
Youth Services Investigative Unit; the Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice
intake and supervision unit; the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s
Alternative Community Service Program, and Montgomery County Public Schools.
2007
Record Number of State Youth Court
Associations and Networking Groups Operating in the United States
By 2007, the number of states that have
formal and informal State Youth Court Associations and State Networking Groups
has reached 17. These organizations
support local youth courts, teen courts, student courts and peer courts, by
providing continuing education and training for those operating youth courts;
maintaining a communication network between existing youth courts to develop
consistency between programs; promoting the development of other youth courts;
and reducing juvenile crime. About 12 of
these State Youth Court Associations are non-profit organizations like those
operating in Texas and Florida and Maryland. Several others are operated by
State Administering agencies such as the Kentucky Administrative Office of the
Courts and the Tennessee Bar Association. Others are operated by a group of
local youth court and teen court coordinators and directors who meet several
times a year and plan activities. For a listing of more than fifteen (15)
of these State Associations and State Networking Groups, please log on to www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
2007
More than 13,000 volunteer youth
recruitment poster distributed across America.
The Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funded the design, printing and
distribution of over 13,000 posters to local youth courts, teen courts, peer
courts and student courts. More than
1,200 local programs each got 10 posters in the mail to recruit even more
volunteer youth and this also increased this visibility of local programs. In 2007, there were more than 100,000 youth
volunteering in local youth and teen court programs across America according to
a national statistical survey conducted by George Washington University. Visit “Quick Facts about the Global Youth
Justice Movement” on www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
2007
National Youth Court Training Draws more
than 150 Attendees
The Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), in collaboration with the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the U.S. Department of
Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, and the National Council of
Juvenile and Family Court Judges, sponsored a newly developed National Double
Track Youth Court Training Program. This
training was held on June 10-13, 2007, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. National Trainers included Nancy Livingston,
Gary Kepley, and Scott Peterson among others.
Track one of the training was designed for communities interested in
establishing a youth court program and for new youth court staff and
volunteers. Track two was designed for experienced youth court staff and
volunteers seeking innovative techniques to enhance current programs. The
first National Double-Track Training took place January 2007, and was filled to
capacity with 150 registrants. In 2010, there are two (2) upcoming trainings
offered by Global Youth Justice,
LLC. One will be in June of 2010 in Cape
Cod and the other will be in December of 2010 in Las Vegas.
2007
Photo Journalist from Japan works on
Youth Court Book
In
2007, Atsu Otsuka, a photojournalist who is committed to promoting peace and
justice worldwide, began working with the youth court coordinator in Clallam,
Washington on a project dedicated to youth courts. Otsuka will write a book about youth court,
and would like to introduce the concept to the Japanese government. For more information about Atsu Otsuka, and
her many projects, visit her web site at http://atsukophoto.com.
2007
South Dakota Passes Legislation
Establishing a Teen Court Grant Fund
the first
endowment of $100,000 to be used for the creation of new teen courts within the
state. Great job South Dakota! For more information about state youth and
teen court legislation see An Update on Teen Court Legislation by
Michelle E. Heward. For more information
log on to www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
2007
Canadian Journal Highlights the Youth
Court Movement
The May/June
issues of Law Now: Life in Canada published a journal article called “The
Next Big Thing: Teen Courts in America”.
This article examines how teen court, a simple idea that inspired a
grassroots movement, has become the most replicated juvenile justice program in
American history. Co-written by Scott
Peterson, the article describes how teen courts in America work, and goes on to
state that youth justice leaders in Canada have taken not of the success of
teen courts in America and desire to introduce the concept north of the border. The article goes on to surmise that due to
the success and growth of the youth court movement, and the interest in the
concept from other countries, there is little doubt that the movement will soon
be a truly international one. This
article helped expand the Global Youth Justice Movement to other
countries. A copy of this article is
available on the Law Now web site at www.lawnow.org.
and www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
2007
National Training to Establish a State
Teen or Youth Court Association or Networking Group takes place in Washington,
DC.
In October
28-31, 2007, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention convened
a team-approach training for states that do not have associations yet, but do
have five or more local youth courts, teen courts, peer courts and/or student
courts. More than forty youth and teen
court professionals from seven states met to discuss the establishment of more
state associations and networking groups to further enhance the local, state,
and national movement through networking of local youth court leaders. Nancy Livingston and Gary Kepley were the
lead trainers from Wisconsin and Illinois with Scott Peterson.
2007
Europe Launches its 1st Youth
Court (Peer Panel) in England/UK
The Global Youth Justice Movement expands to Europe. In September 2007, the United Kingdom’s
National Centre for Restorative Justice convened an international conference at
the Lancashire Police headquarters in Preston, Lancashire. The purpose of the conference was to launch
three new Restorative Justice Centers.
At the heart of the Centers are Peer Panels, which are the British
version of youth/teen courts in the United States. Approximately 200 delegates joined United
Kingdom Government Ministers and the Restorative Justice Centre’s project
ambassador, Archbishop Tutu. The
conference was designed to both acknowledge the significant contributions that
the United States Department of Justice has made to the United Kingdom’s
efforts to establish and institutionalize peer panels in England, and also to
further build the relationship between peer panels and youth/teen courts.
The awesome Simon Evans from NACRO in the UK spearheaded this effort
which came to fruition as Europe now has local youth court programs – referred
to as peer panels that are now being established so more young people around
the globe experience the benefits of peer justice. Scott Bernard Peterson from the United States
traveled to the United Kingdom to help launch the very first Peer Panels in
England with a keynoter address to more than 500 adults and youth from the UK
to include top Government officials from the UK. Photos are available on www.GlobalYouthJustice.org.
Before leaving
federal service, Scott Peterson wanted to empower local youth court and teen
court adult staff to do what the federal government had successfully been doing
under the stewardship of Scott Peterson for the past decade. Three (3) to four
(4) mostly youth court and teen court staff from about 18 states with formal
and informal state associations and state coalitions met at four (4) national
meetings with about seventy-five (75) of these individuals who committed to moving forward to establish the National Association of Youth Courts, Inc. These meetings took place in New
Orleans, San Diego, and Washington, DC.
By early spring
of 2007, there was a board of directors in place and an executive committee who all pledged their commitment in front of their 75 peers.
Incorporation had taken place and an application was submitted for 501c3
status. Scott Peterson also reached out to
three (3) other federal agencies and raised $500,000 in federal funds that
were awarded to the national association to help them go out on
their own. At this point, Scott Peterson moved on to planning for his Global Youth Justice and passed the reins over to the National Association of Youth Courts leadership after eleven (11) years of federal/national leadership.
Mr. Peterson is
not and has never been on the board or a paying member for National
Association of Youth Courts (NAYC). The National Association of Youth Courts, Inc.
is off to a much slower than expected start almost several years later and it has not earned the critical support of local teen court/youth court adult staff across the country. OJJDP also did not renew their federal grant. Before paying a a membership fee, as with
all associations, Mr. Peterson suggests potential members request specific
information on what benefits they will receive in return for their payment.
Global Youth Justice hopes by 2020 there are a dozen or more multi-state, national and/or international
organizations, to include public and private, like Global Youth Justice, LLC.
supporting the Global Youth Justice Movement.
This approach to have multiple agencies and organizations has proven to
be very effective for other youth programs such as “Mentoring”. Global Youth Justice, LLC will gladly support
any other credible and legitimate local, state, regional, national and/or international organization
supporting the Global Youth Justice Movement.
Scott encourages local and state youth justice adult staff to be creative and establish public
and private efforts to advance the youth justice movement on many fronts. Please feel free to call us and discuss any ideas for going out on your own or with others. The timing is right to take an entrepreneurial approach to this work - it is very healthy for the Global Youth Justice Movement.
2008
Historic 1st Report to the
Nation is released
In September
2008, “Youth Courts: A Report to the Nation – A 15 Year Report” was released to a
wide audience. This
historic publication appeared in more than thirty-five (35) e-newsletters and
on hundreds of websites. This document was researched and co-written by
Scott B. Peterson with help from the talented Jill Beres. The document and report is the largest and
most comprehensive report ever compiled on Youth Court. It chronicles how youth court has evolved
from a handful of local grassroots efforts to a national and international
movement. A copy is available on www.GlobalYouthJustice.org.
2009
Global Youth Justice, LLC is established
in March of 2009.
The mission of
Global Youth Justice, LLC is to “Promote the global expansion of juvenile
justice programs commonly referred to as youth court, teen court, peer court,
student court, youth peer jury, and youth peer panel”. Global Youth Justice, LLC was incorporated in
the State of Massachusetts in the United States of America in March of 2009 by
Scott B. Peterson. Mr. Peterson serves
as the President and Founder of Global Youth Justice, LLC. For almost two (2) decades Mr. Peterson has
successfully and relentlessly championed the Global Youth Justice Movement on a
local, state, national and international level.
Mr. Peterson is regarded as the leading authority in America and around
the world on these juvenile justice programs commonly referred to as youth
court, teen court, peer court, student court, youth peer jury, and youth peer
panel.
Global Youth
Justice, LLC is the latest initiative of Mr. Peterson to advance the Global
Youth Justice Movement. Global Youth Justice, LLC differs from all previous
national or international initiatives to support the Global Youth Justice
Movement. Global Youth Justice, LLC was
established for a wide range of purposes to include educating, advocating, and
lobbying for the expansion of juvenile justice programs commonly referred to as
youth courts, also referred to as teen courts, peer courts, student courts,
youth peer juries, and youth peer panels.
Unlike
restrictions placed on the federal government and most not-for-profits, Global
Youth Justice, LLC is allowed to engage in activities such as lobbying
Presidents, Prime Ministers, Heads of State, Congress, Governors, Mayors, State
and County Legislatures, and other elected and appointed public officials. Global Youth Justice, LLC will also engage in
providing international leadership, facilitate global coordination, build
collaborations, disseminate information, launch campaigns, convene events, and
offer training and technical assistance on a local, state, national and global
level. To learn more about and/or to
inquire how to get involved with Global Youth Justice, LLC, please email Scott.Peterson@GlobalYouthJustice.org
and/or log on to www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
beginning on September 1, 2009.
2009
The 2009 National Training to establish a
Youth Court or Teen Court
The Global Issue
Resource Center in collaboration with Scott Peterson from Global Youth Justice,
LLC convened the first national training to establish a youth court or teen
court in almost two (2) years. This
national training took place in Cleveland, Ohio from March 30-31. A strong showing of representatives from more
than fifty (50) communities attended this national training. More than twenty (20) states and the District
of Columbia were represented at this national training. National trainers include the leading
authorities on Youth and Teen Court to include Ms. Nancy Livingston from
Wisconsin, Mr. Gay Kepley from Illinois, Mr. David Garcia, and Mrs. Karen
Lard-Garcia from New Mexico. Mr. Scott
Peterson served as both trainer and keynote speaker.
This is the first national implementation
training Mr. Peterson has launched since leaving federal service in February of
2008. Registration for this national
training is as high as previous national trainings over the past decade Mr.
Peterson spearheaded while a federal employee, and even slightly higher, and in
tough economic times. This is a good
sign the National Youth Court and Teen Court Movement is still strong and
growing. To be placed on a list for
upcoming trainings – email technicalassistance@GlobalYouthJustice.org
2009
www.GlobalYouthJustice is Launched on September 1, 2009
Global Youth
Justice, LLC launched Www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
on September 1, 2009. National and
International partners of Global Youth Justice, LLC will send several hundred
thousand emails will initially go out across to world announcing the release of
this new global website to expand the Global Youth Justice Movement. The historic launch of www.GlobalYouthJustice.org will
begin the first formal international effort to expand youth court, teen court,
student court, peer court, and youth peer panel programs. Www.GlobalYouthJustice.org is the
face of Global Youth Justice, LLC and it will only continue to grow with each
passing month. The launch of www.GlobalYouthJustice.org will be
a fresh and innovative addition to the movement.
The website is designed for both youth and adults and it will serve as a catalyst for positive social change. Www.GlobalYouthJustice.org is not restricted from lobbying and advocating here in America and around the world. Www.GlobalYouthJustice.org already includes new Statistics to the upcoming Global Youth Justice Awards to Lobbying to becoming a Global Youth Justice Ambassador to upcoming International Trainings to the Global E-Newsletter and much, much more. Scott Peterson would especially like to thank Mr. James Olezene from San Antonio, Texas. He is the webmaster for Global Youth Justice, LLC. Bookmark it today and put a link on your website Www.GlobalYouthJustice.org
2010's
2010
1st
Global Youth Justice Institute and Staff Retreat
June 14-17, 2010 in Provincetown, Cape Cod, MA, USA
The Provincetown Inn and Resort
http://www.provincetowninn.com/
This 1st Global Youth Justice Institute and Retreat is
designed for the adult staff who currently or have previously worked full-time
and/or part-time in local programs in a wide range of capacities to include
operational, administrative, and in support capacities. Peer training and sharing will be a primary
focus of this 1st Global Youth Justice Institute and Staff retreat. Topics will include funding, grant writing,
improving and managing community service and volunteer training, implementing
and enhancing state coalitions, supporting the professional advancement of
careers in local youth court and teen court programs, and other much more.
2010
The 2010
International Training to Establish a Youth Court/Teen Court
December 7-9, 2010 in Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Tuscany Suites
More than 150
youth and adults from the world are gratefully acknowledged for already helping
document the history of the Global Youth Justice Movement. Please continue to join in the effort to help
Global Youth Justice, LLC serve as a historian and create a central repository
for sharing the key events that are largely responsible for shaping the Global
Youth Justice Movement in to the 21st Century in America and around
the world. Youth and adults to include
those formerly and currently involved in the Global Youth Justice Movement are
encouraged to send their submission suggestions to Scott.Peterson@GlobalYouthJustice.org
.
Please include
your submission with a short caption and in less than 100 words if
possible. If your entry is posted on www.GlobalYouthJustice.org you
will receive a commemorative Global Youth Justice Mouse Pad.