Participation in the Youth Court program is voluntary, and offenders must admit their guilt and agree to have their sentences determined by a jury of teens. A peer youth advocate interviews the offender to learn about the offense and the offender's history before the court proceedings begin. At the hearing, the community advocate describes the harm done to the community, making clear the repercussions of the offense. Jury members directly question the offender about the offense and the offender's circumstances, reasons for committing the crime, and pressures the youth is experiencing. Sentences are intended to hold offenders accountable for their actions by paying back the community.
Staff monitor youthful offenders to ensure they complete the mandated sentences.
Staff also refer youth to appropriate social services after assessing their needs. Youth volunteers receive extensive training for performing their various roles. Balanced and Restorative Justice principles can be implemented in community corrections agencies to make communities safer, hold youth accountable, and develop youths' competencies while strengthening the community's ability to address its own needs. The Community Intensive Supervision Program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, operates in four neighborhood centers around the city. After school, high-risk program youth report to the centers, where they are tested for drug use, complete homework, and perform community service in their own neighborhoods.