Abstract: Youth courts * have been spreading rapidly around the country in the 1990s. They share important goals with law-related education (LRE), including a strong potential to improve the citizenship skills of young people. This paper will provide an overview of youth courts, explain their connection and positive contribution to LRE, profile the support of the legal profession, and provide resources for the creation and enhancement of youth courts. What Are Youth Courts? Youth court is a general term describing courts that involve young people in the sentencing of their peers, whether in a school, juvenile justice, or a community setting. These courts usually have young people serving as jurors and may also have them fulfilling the roles of prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, judge, bailiff, or other officers of the court. In most youth courts, young offenders are referred for sentencing, not for a decision of guilt or innocence. There are, however, many different models (see below), including some that determine guilt or innocence. Young offenders voluntarily choose youth court, with parental approval, as an alternative to the criminal justice system or a disciplinary office. Offenders who prefer legal representation and/or the regular court or disciplinary system can decline referral to youth courts. Youth court sentences commonly include community service (1–200 hours), jury duty (up to 12 times), restitution, and apologies. Additional sentencing options include counseling, educational workshops on substance abuse or safe driving, essay writing (100–1000 words), victim-awareness classes, Paula A. Nessel is a program manager for School Programs of the American Bar Association Division for Public Education. * Youth court is used as a generic term for teen court, peer jury, peer court, student court, and other courts using youth in determining the sentences of juvenile offenders.
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