NCJ Number
215498
Date Published
2006
Length
47 pages
Annotation
This kit provides planning information, suggested activities, and resources for youth courts to use for community outreach during National Youth Court Month.
Abstract
In September 2002, the first National Youth Court Month was established and held by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the National Youth Court Center (NYCC). The intent was to draw attention to the youth courts movement which had become recognized as a leading prevention and intervention program. Through the National Youth Court Month, OJJDP and the NYCC promote the joining together of youth courts from across the country to educate the public about youth courts and the benefits of the program. The 2006 National Youth Court Month has two themes. First, youth courts work to help correct crooked paths by taking a negative event or circumstance in a child’s life and turning it into something positive by holding the youth accountable for their actions and helping them learn about the consequences of their behavior. Secondly, youth and communities join in partnership for justice. This 2006 National Youth Court Month Action Kit was developed to assist youth courts in planning, conducting, and promoting community projects to be held during National Youth Court Month. The kit includes a planning checklist, suggestions of local activities, procedures and forms for a volunteer hall of honor, tips for involving the media, and a 12-month planning calendar that features brief essays written by various stakeholders of youth court programs, illustrating the benefits that various youth court program stakeholders receive from these programs.