Each youth court varies in response to the needs and resources of its community, but typically youth courts handle cases involving young people, ages 10 to 18, who have been cited for low-level offenses, such as vandalism, fare evasion, assault and truancy. The Center’s youth courts receive referrals through partnerships with schools, the New York City Police Department, the New York City Department of Probation, Family and Criminal Courts, and District Attorneys' offices.

Youth courts incorporate the following features:

Accountability: Youth courts hold young people accountable by requiring them to take responsibility for their actions and pay back the community for their crimes. Youth court staff contact each young person and his/her guardians to describe the youth court process, explain the benefits of participation and schedule an intake and hearing date for youth who agree to participate. At the hearing, the respondent has the opportunity to tell his/her story and answers questions posed by members of the jury. After considering all of the information, the jury decides on a fair and appropriate sanction that holds the youth accountable and restores harm done to the community. Sanctions typically include community service, letters of apology, and skill-building workshops such as conflict resolution. Youth court staff work closely with respondents to ensure that they complete sanctions as mandated.  Successful completion of sanctions imposed by the youth court typically results in favorable disposition of the case by the referring agency.   

Access to Help: Adult staff members are responsible for making an initial assessment of each respondent and linking them to appropriate social services. Some services, such as conflict resolution workshops, may also be part of a respondent’s sanctions. Youth courts also strive to link respondents to job training and after school programs to help them avoid further disciplinary action in their schools and communities.

Peer Leadership: To ensure that respondents truly are judged by their peers, youth court members—ranging from 14 to 18 years old—are not “creamed" from the top of their classes.  Youth courts recruit participants from a range of local high schools and community based organizations. They require no minimum grade point average or any previous experience. Young people who have previously appeared in youth courts as respondents are strongly encouraged to apply. Participants receive 30 hours of pre-service training on critical thinking, precision questioning, active listening and youth court protocols. In addition, they participate in on-going, intensive youth development and team-building activities to help cultivate their leadership skills.