IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 986 

Recognizing youth court programs for the efforts of such programs in enhancing the quality of the juvenile justice system in the United States and 

encouraging the recognition of a National Youth Court Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2006 

Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida (for herself, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of 

Texas, and Mr. WALSH) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing youth court programs for the efforts of such 

programs in enhancing the quality of the juvenile justice 

system in the United States and encouraging the recognition of a National Youth Court Month. 

Whereas a strong country begins with strong communities in 

which all members have an active role and investment in 

the success and future of the youth of the United States; 

Whereas a National Youth Court Month would celebrate the 

outstanding achievement of youth court programs 

throughout the country, including the achievement in 

2005 of over 110,000 young persons volunteering to hear 

over 115,000 juvenile cases and over 20,000 adults volunteering to facilitate peer justice, thereby reducing juvenile crime; 


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Whereas 1,158 youth court programs in 49 States and the 

District of Columbia provide restorative justice programs 

for juvenile offenders, which provide effective prevention 

of criminal activity, early intervention with respect to 

such criminal activity, and education for all youth participants in such programs, and which enhance public safety 

throughout the country; 

Whereas some youth court programs use as models several 

community-based court programs, including diversionary 

courts, tribal courts, and school-based courts, and all of 

the youth court programs include active youth participation in advocacy and decision-making to meet the needs 

of the respective community; 

Whereas youth court programs are a benefit to the judicial 

system and the community by holding youth offenders accountable, by addressing the concerns of victims of juvenile crime, juvenile offenders, the families of such offenders, and the communities of such victims and of such offenders, by reducing case loads for the judicial system, by 

investigating offenses which may otherwise be ignored 

until the offending behavior escalates, and by encouraging juvenile offenders to become contributing members 

of their communities; 

Whereas Federal, State, and local governments, corporations, 

foundations, service organizations, educational institutions, juvenile justice agencies, and individual adults support youth court programs because such programs actively promote and contribute to building successful, productive lives and futures for the youth of the United 

States; 


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Whereas a fundamental correlation exists between community 

service while one is a young person and a lifelong commitment and involvement to one’s community; 

Whereas community service and related service learning opportunities enable young people to build character and to 

enhance and learn life skills, including responsibility, decision-making, time management, teamwork, public 

speaking, and leadership, which are skills that prospective employers value and which help to transform participants in youth court programs into productive members 

of their communities; 

Whereas 1,158 youth court programs in 49 States and the 

District of Columbia believe recruiting, recognizing, training, and retaining youth and adult volunteers will achieve 

the sustainability, growth, and effectiveness of youth 

court programs and the ability of such programs to reduce juvenile crime; 

Whereas such 1,158 youth court programs exemplify the 

practice of empowering youth through involvement in 

community solutions, increase public safety by holding juvenile offenders accountable for illegal acts, use positive 

peer influence to achieve law-abiding behavior, provide 

understanding and appreciation of the law through classes and court participation, and develop individual competence and leadership skills through problem-solving and 

decision-making; and 

Whereas for the past five years some youth court programs 

throughout the country have celebrated the month of 

September as a youth court month: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 


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1 (1) recognizes and commends the 1,158 youth 

2 court programs in existence in 49 States and the 

3 District of Columbia for the support and efforts of 

4 such programs in enhancing the quality of the juve5 nile justice system in the United States and sup6 ports the purposes and practices of such programs 

7 in improving such system; 

8 (2) encourages the recognition of a National 

9 Youth Court Month and urges the people, schools, 

10 businesses, and media of the United States to ob11 serve such a month by participating in activities to 

12 preserve and strengthen youth court programs in 

13 each respective community; and 

14 (3) encourages the cultivation of a common 

15 bond among all young people and adult volunteers 

16 dedicated to serving their peers, communities, and 

17 the United States in the pursuit of justice for all 

18 youth. 

Æ 


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