MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES CREATION OF NEW YOUTH COURT IN THE BRONX

Youth courts train teenagers to adjudicate low-level offenses involving their peers and help prevent further justice involvement

   Mayor de Blasio announced funding for a new youth court in the Bronx, which will train young people to serve as jurors, judges and attorneys as well as to adjudicate  real-life cases involving their peers. The announcement came at a town hall in the 15th Council District in the Bronx.

“Every other borough in the city has a youth court and now we’re making sure the Bronx has this resource too – so young people can access important services, develop leadership skills, and help their peers stay out of trouble,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Young people must have confidence in the criminal justice system. That starts by understanding how it works and by seeing themselves as a part of the administration of justice.”

The program will be administered by the Center for Court Innovation, which currently operates youth courts in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. The Bronx is the only borough that currently does not have a youth court.

In all other boroughs, youth courts provide an opportunity for teens to develop leadership skills, become community leaders, and help their peers avoid justice system involvement without compromising public safety. The court is estimated to cost around $300,000 per year.

Youth courts, which began operating at Brooklyn’s Red Hook Community Justice Center in 1998, handle low-level offenses committed by first-time offenders that would typically be heard at Family Court. The Center for Court Innovation currently operates five youth courts in New York City and one in Newark New Jersey. The goal is to address youth crime while also helping those in trouble access services, make amends and stay out of future trouble. 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said, “Youth court not only helps young people take responsibility for their actions and reduces collateral consequences of a criminal record; it also shows them how the criminal justice system works and how they can play a vital role in it as lawyers, judges and jurors. It is a welcome addition to the many reforms that we are implementing in the Bronx.”