Court sessions are usually closed and participants are required to sign an oath or pledge of confidentiality. The goals of Youth Court are to hold juvenile offenders accountable for their actions, to educate youth about the judicial and legal systems, and to empower youth to be active in their communities. Other names for Youth Court include Teen Court, Peer Jury, Peer Court, and Student Court. One of the earliest known Youth Courts is Grand Prairie Teen Court Program in Grand Prairie, Texas which began operating in 1976. There are currently more than 650 known Youth Court programs operating in 45 states and the District of Columbia.
Programs vary across the country.
There are currently no uniform guidelines for Youth Courts. However, a few states have enacted statutes pertaining to Youth Court programs. In addition, the recently created National Youth Court Center has been asked by the Office of Juvenile Justice to develop national guidelines for Youth Courts. Youth Courts in the Juvenile Justice or Community Setting Youth Courts are often used as a voluntary alternative to the juvenile and criminal justice system for youth who have committed a crime. Many youth courts only accept first-time offenders who have committed a minor offense.