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Building a Better Youth Court
Author(s) -
Acker James,
Hendrix Pamela Nicole,
Hogan Lorraine,
Kordzek Andrea
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
law and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.534
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1467-9930
pISSN - 0265-8240
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9930.00110
Subject(s) - juvenile court , minor (academic) , political science , law , state (computer science) , criminology , juvenile delinquency , psychology , computer science , algorithm
Youth courts are an innovative quasi‐legal forum in which adolescents pass judgment on their peers in cases involving relatively minor offenses. These courts hold much promise to benefit offending youth, the youthful volunteers who participate in the adjudicative process, the traditional juvenile court system, victims, and surrounding communities. Based on a survey completed of the forty‐two youth courts operating in New York State, this article describes the diverse and overlapping objectives, target populations, and operating procedures of the youth tribunals. It discusses the interrelated nature of youth court goals, subjects, and procedures, and offers general prescriptions for the more effective design and operation of youth courts.