Teen Court/Youth Court/Peer Court/Peer Jury
Local to Global Youth Justice Movement Turns 30 in 2023: 1993 to 2023
Since 2009, Global Youth Justice, Inc. has been the lead and sole functioning County-Level or International-Level Public or Private Agency or Organization supporting the Implementation, Expansion, and Enhancement of these youth-led and peer-to-peer diversion programs. Prior to that, from 1997 to 2008, it was the five federal youth court project designed and led by Global Youth Justice, Inc. CEO and Founder Scott Peterson, at the United States Department of Justice. This was the first country or national level effort in the world, and was based on the first federal 3-year year local demonstration project by the United States Department of Justice for one these youth-led and volunteer-driven Youth Court diversion programs on a Local Level in the United States of America in 1993.
It was called Youth Courts of the Capital District, Inc. in upstate New York in four (4) counties called Youth Courts of the Capital District, Inc. provided from to Scott Peterson in 1993 to establish Youth Courts of the Capital District, Inc. More than 50 adults ranging from 10 Senior Federal Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, County Public Defenders, Judges, County District Attorney’s, School Superintendents and Principals, Police Chiefs, Youth Bureau Directors, Nonprofit Executives, Probation Directors, Elected and Publics Offices, and the founding CEO and Executive Director was Scott Bernard Peterson at age 23.
After 30 years in 2023, Scott Peterson has kept the Local to Global Youth Justice Movement purposely public domain, and there are no membership, dues, or costs associated with operating these diversion programs, and all materials are free.
CATEGORY and CLASSIFICATION
Juvenile Justice
Youth Justice
School Discipline
TYPE
Diversion Programs and School Discipline
MODEL and GUIDING PROGRAMMATIC STRUCTURE
Rule of Law and Democracy (has proven easily adaptable to 12 countries)
6 ELEMENTS
Active Civic Engagement
Youth Development, Service, and Empowerment
Law-Related Education (LRE)
Balanced and Restorative Justice Practices (BARJ)
Community Service Learning (Projects with Purpose)
NAMES of these Diversion Programs
Youth Court
Teen Court
Peer Court
Student Court
Youth Peer Court
Peer Jury
FYI on NAMES: Approximately 50% PEER JURY Diversion Programs which utilize Volunteer Youth only as Jurors OR they utilize Volunteer Youth as Judges who act as Jurors, they are intentionally calling their programs Teen Court, Youth Court or Peer Court on purpose, and not Peer Jury. Why? Most like the name better, want the public to think the involve youth in many different roles such as public defender or prosecutor, and other reasons. This is an EVEN bigger issue for Restorative Conferencing taking place, which is outside of schools is not realistic at scale.
Because Restorative Conferencing often takes place in schools, which have no community service program, or law related education programs, and other support services, there are little to no consequences. Therefor, often a “Contract” takes the place of those important things when the setting is school, and it stipulates things such as the youth who committed a crime or violated school practice promises to do extra chores at home, and behave for certain time period.
2,050+ Volunteer-Driven and Youth-Led Teen Court, Youth Court, Peer Court, Student Court, Youth Peer Court, and Peer Jury Diversion Programs on 5-Continents, 12 Countries, 47 USA States, DC and 35+ Tribes.
100’s More in Development around the Globe.
Global Youth Justice, Inc. Champions 2,050++ volunteer-driven and youth-led Youth Justice and Juvenile Justice diversion programs called Teen Court, Youth Court, Student Court, Peer Court and Peer Jury on 5-Continents, making it the most replicated juvenile justice and youth justice program around the globe. And, adults and youth from hundreds of additional communities around the globe, are in various stages of implementing one of these rapidly expanding affordable and scalable diversion programs.
Global Youth Justice champions the quality establishment, enhancement, and expansion of these rapidly expanding diversion programs. For more than a decade (2009-2018), Global Youth Justice has been the lead USA and International Organization offering training, technical assistance, and a wide range of other programs and services to further proliferate the expansion of these unique youth-led and volunteer-driven diversion programs.
Rationale Behind Youth/Teen/Student/Peer Court and Peer Jury Diversion Programs
If negative peer pressure is a primary factor in leading some youth to commit a crime, offense and/or violation, then positive peer pressure can be harnessed and redirected to become a positive force and lead other youth to adhere to the rule of law and become more productive citizens. These youth justice and juvenile justice voluntary diversion programs harness positive peer pressure and utilize it in a peer judgment setting to help address the anti-social, delinquent, and/or criminal behavior of youth.
The ‘peer judgment’ and ‘positive peer pressure’ aspects of these rapidly expanding youth-led and volunteer-driven programs are the two (2) primary programmatic elements which separate these youth justice and juvenile justice voluntary diversion programs from all of the others. The volunteer-driven programmatic model of these diversion programs has substantially contributed to their rapid expansion, popularity with elected and public officials, and their rare ability to become sustainable after any short term grants or funding has ended.
Different Program Models (25+ Models w/100’s of Programmatic Differences)
For many years, the four primary program models for these diversion programs were the Adult Judge, Youth Judge, Peer Jury, and Youth Tribunal Models. However, new research documents there are approximately twenty-five (25) models existing, with hundreds of programmatic, administrative, operational and fiscal variations among these 25+ models. Some local communities even operate two (2) different models of these diversion programs. Like most Juvenile Justice and Youth Justice programs, the decisions on how these diversion programs operate and exist, are almost entirely locally determined by adult community leaders, with active youth involvement.
Global Youth Justice Network on on Youth/Teen/Student/Peer Court and Peer Jury
The Global Youth Justice Social Media Network is among the most extensive and most followed social media networks around the globe on Youth Justice, Juvenile Justice and Youth/Teen/Student/Peer Court and Peer Jury Diversion Programs. Get connected with the Global Youth Justice Social Media Network, and stay updated on the World’s most replicated Juvenile Justice and Youth Justice program now in 10+ Countries on 4-Continents.
Global Youth Justice Website
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Questions on Youth/Teen/Student/Peer Court and Peer Jury
Call Global Youth Justice at (202) 468-3790 or GlobalYouthJustice@GlobalYouthJustice.org
or
Contact Global Youth Justice