Innovation for Citizenship, Service Learning, and Achievement Chester High School Youth Courts:

City of Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania   Chester High School (currently in operation)   Chester Elementary Schools (planning in progress)   Delaware County Juvenile Justice System (planning in progress) Location

Over the past two decades, hundreds of communities in the United States have established youth courts because they offer a positive alternative to traditional juvenile justice and school disciplinary procedures. Youth courts stem the tide of juveniles going into the formal juvenile justice system and/or dropping out of school. Why Do We Need Youth Courts?

Properly structured youth courts with adequate resources have the potential to:   Improve school climate;   Serve as a prevention and early intervention program for juvenile delinquency and school disengagement;   Assist students in learning academic skills such as deliberation, collaboration, reflection, intentionality, problem solving and consensus building;   Encourage and teach civic responsibility;   Hold juvenile offenders accountable for their actions; (continued) Why Do We Need Youth Courts?

Properly structured youth courts with adequate resources have the potential to:   Provide another option on the continuum of services available to youth;   Promote restorative justice principles;   Educate youth about the legal system;   Offer an opportunity for young people to connect positively with adults and youth from their community;   Build a stronger community; and,   Serve as a platform for youth development and leadership. Why Do We Need Youth Courts?

  Create a peer justice alternative to current school discipline procedures;   improve school climate; improve academic achievement skills:   problem solving, deliberation, consensus building, public speaking;   increase service learning and citizenship (understanding roles and responsibilities of being an active citizen and its importance to a successful society). Program Goals

Youth Court members learn to:   collaborate, deliberate and problem solve;   resolve conflicts in a systematized, rational fashion;   apply legal techniques, concepts, and processes such as how to ask open ended questions, what evidence is relevant, and how to integrate facts within school rules. Program Objectives

  Youth Court respondents (those who have committed violations or rules) avoid traditional, and often ineffective school discipline policies— particularly suspension for first-time, low-level offenses.   Respondents are given a chance to make amends and avoid a permanent blot on their record. Program Objectives

  Truancy, hall walking, drop out prevention, violations of school rules.   School-to-prison pipeline is replaced with a platform capable of coordinating school-to- career tools such as mentoring, tutoring, job assistance, leadership development, etc. School Challenges Addressed

  Improved school climate   reduced recidivism   decreased truancy   service learning opportunities   understanding citizenship roles   increased executive functioning   improved academic performance   leadership and community development Education and Juvenile Justice Benefits Provided

  Youth Court members (students who operate the court) learn the functions of judge, juror, jury foreman, bailiff, prosecuting and defense attorney, and clerk.   All Youth Court dispositions (judgments) include mandatory jury duty so respondents (offenders) get to view the disciplinary process from both the vantage point of the offender and the community. Methods and Procedures

  A faculty advisor   a Stoneleigh Center Fellow   high school volunteers (youth court members)   a Swarthmore College student. All of these individuals are volunteers. Current Staffing

One full-time youth court coordinator is necessary with the following skill set:   draft grant proposals   interact with lawyers, law enforcement, judges, educators, philanthropists, and community members   recruit volunteers   provide legal training on concepts and court processes   meet with youth court members to provide incentives and link them to appropriate ancillary youth development services- tutoring, conflict resolution   job training, etc. Future Staffing

A second staff person to do administrative backup, outreach, follow-up and case management, should be added. This could be an AmeriCorps member because of the incredible affordability of working with this federal program. This person would provide training; coordinate court activities including weekly case referrals from school administration and notification of students and parents regarding hearing date and time; oversee youth court hearings; ensure all dispositions (sentences) are complied with and that school records are expunged for respondents who successfully complete their dispositions. Future Staffing

Youth court research has been compiled by Professor Nancy Blank, a Widener University criminal justice professor. This work has primarily been funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. A manuscript based on the first year’s data has been accepted for publication by a national journal. Our research will improve on the national data, most of which focuses on respondents, and provide the first data on the impact youth courts have on the student volunteers. Evaluation

Funding a full-time youth court coordinator and administrative assistant costs: Salaries$52,000* Fringe Benefits$10,000 Supplies$ 1,500 Equipment$ 2,500 Incentives for students$ 2,500 TOTAL $68,500** * Includes full-time coordinator and administrative assistant. ** The average youth court nationally costs $40,000. (Our costs are higher because we intend to provide considerable additional services and programs, and process a large number of offenders). Estimated Costs

We have developed a three year budget for Chester youth courts and a four year budget for expansion of youth courts statewide. We are also analyzing statutes from other states which authorized and set conditions on youth courts. The absence of any such Pennsylvania statute is an opportunity to consider the development of a dedicated revenue source within a new enactment. Fiscal Responsibility

There are two types of youth courts:   School-based   Juvenile justice based Stakeholders

These courts require the buy-in of the school superintendent. We have the support of Dr. Gregory Thornton, Chester-Upland School District Superintendent. It also is useful to have the high school principal’s support and we had the support of Keith Arrington- who has now been reassigned and there is an interim principal now at Chester High School. The interim principal has observed the youth court and expressed support in the past. Although I have shared information with one of the three members of the Chester-Upland School District Board of Control I have never formally met her, nor made a presentation to the school board. We have discussed such a presentation, and may do this in the future. The Mayor of Chester, Wendell Butler, is a former police commissioner and has told me he would do anything he could to support the youth court. School-Based Courts

We have begun planning for a second youth court in Chester to be part of the juvenile justice system and to be implemented fall 2009, if sufficient funding is secured. The Delaware County District Attorney and the Executive Director of the Delaware County Courts are both supportive of the second court. The President Judge of Delaware County Court of Common Pleas also supports the court. Judge Cronin has observed the CHSYC, praised it, and given a robe and a gavel to the youth court! Juvenile Justice Courts